Bank of America

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s London branch started receiving bids for a three year bond on December 11, in what is the third dollar deal by a unit of the Chinese lender in just over a month.

At this time of year, attention in the equity capital market is divided between avidly fighting for next year’s mandates, which are beginning to mount up — and counting the spoils from this year. Has it been a good, bad or indifferent year — and for whom?

Any bankers who had written off December for corporate bond issuance were forced to eat their words on Wednesday, when Vonovia, the German housing company, issued a €3bn deal to finance its hostile takeover bid for Deutsche Wohnen, and won a book of over €7bn.

Standard Chartered and Lonmin will each begin a new chapter in their stories on Friday, as results are published of their rights issues, books for which closed on Thursday.

Goodyear Dunlop Tires, the US tyre maker, issued €250m of eight year senior notes on Wednesday. The notes are rated Ba1/BB, with a coupon of 3.750% and non-call protection of three years.

Unitymedia, the German cable operator, this week priced €420m of senior secured 10 year notes to yield 4.625%, the wide end of price talk.

Unitymedia, one of Germany’s largest cable operators, launched a €420m senior secured high yield bond today.

Any bankers who had written off December for corporate bond issuance were forced to eat their words today, when Vonovia, the German housing company, issued a €3bn deal to finance its hostile takeover bid for Deutsche Wohnen, and won a book of over €7bn.

UK construction company Balfour Beatty has nearly halved the size of its revolving credit facility in a £400m refinancing deal.

Corporate bond bankers are busy, for this time of year. While they are usually up for doing deals, it is clear investors, too, are in no hurry to close their books for the year, but are keen to buy paper, despite the let-down of the European Central Bank’s lukewarm QE boost last week.

At this time of year, attention in the equity capital market is divided between avidly fighting for next year’s mandates, which are beginning to mount up — and counting the spoils from this year. Has it been a good, bad or indifferent year — and for whom?

Corporate treasurers across Europe will be thanking Daimler today, as the German car maker took the lead on Tuesday and showed that the bond market is wide open for deals.