What it takes to break issuance records in volatile markets

So many bond issuance records tumbled in a busy week in the primary market that to some it felt like we were back in January. That is typically the busiest month of the year and the 2026 edition was particularly successful for issuers. But scratch beneath the surface and it was clear that issuers were having to be quite cautious about how they approached investors.

This week, we discuss the tactics public sector issuers are using that are driving investors into their deals and those they are not deploying, at least just yet.

We also look at how banks have brought forward issuance, pricing some spectacular deals by doing so, to take advantage of improved investor sentiment resulting from the Iran war ceasefire. We debate what this means for the rest of the spring for banks issuing in the primary market.

Finally, we looked at the European corporate bond market where issuers also took full advantage of the sentiment boost, allowing us to examine the way different companies are approaching investors and what makes for a successul new issue.