Austria

New euro benchmark covered bond supply appears on course to hit the market tomorrow (Tuesday) as issuers continue with preparations for deals despite a backdrop of uncertainty about whether or not a bail-out of Ireland will be set in motion.

Hypo NOE Gruppe Bank yesterday (Tuesday) sold an inaugural, Eu500m maximum three year public sector Pfandbrief that an official at the issuer told The Cover attracted a satisfactory level of investor attention taking into account an active primary market and the bank’s newcomer status.

Nordea Bank Finland will today (Tuesday) price a Eu2bn five year inaugural benchmark covered bond after building one of the biggest order books for a euro issue this year, while Austria’s Hypo NOE Gruppe Bank met with sufficient demand to sell a Eu500m three year inaugural public sector Pfandbrief.

Leeds Building Society is lining up to re-open the sterling covered bond market next week, while other inaugural deals are expected to lead a resumption of new benchmark issuance in euros.

Moody’s downgraded Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederoesterreich-Wien from Aa3 to A1 yesterday (Wednesday) after carrying out stress tests on the bank’s earnings, assets and capital.

New issues for GCE Covered Bonds and UniCredit Bank Austria and a large Caja Madrid tap took this week’s supply of Eu500m-plus deals to a solid Eu6.7bn, with GCE said to have benefitted from a recent paucity of new three year issuance from so-called core jurisdictions.

A new burst of issuance hit the covered bond market this (Thursday) morning after a breather yesterday, with GCE Covered Bonds and UniCredit Bank Austria launching new deals and Caja Madrid offering an increase of a 2014 issue.

Banesto sized a five year cédulas hipotecarias at Eu600m yesterday (Thursday), taking Eu500m-plus covered bond issuance over the past five working days to Eu6.9bn. The Spanish issuer told The Cover that it was happy to have been able to issue successfully given how tricky the market has been.

Banesto showed the breadth of the covered bond market’s post-holiday reopening today (Thursday) with a Eu500m minimum five year cédulas hipotecarias. Meanwhile, Berlin Hyp priced a Eu500m issue in the face of low yields and spreads, while Bawag PSK finally emerged after announcing plans for a new issue back in May.

Covered bond supply eased today (Wednesday) after some Eu5.3bn of supply in the past three working days, with no new deals officially live and only DnB Nor, Erste and CRH wrapping up issuance yesterday afternoon.

DnB Nor Boligkreditt is pricing a Eu1.5bn seven year covered bond today (Tuesday) after ING Bank reopened the jumbo market yesterday, while further jumbo, sub-jumbo and roadshow projects are in motion.

Moody’s downgraded unguaranteed public sector-backed covered bonds issued by Austria’s Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank from Aa1 to Aa2 yesterday (Tuesday) after cutting the issuer rating earlier in the day. The rating agency also cut Vorarlberger Landes- und Hypothekenbank’s issuer rating.