Bank of America

Noble Group, a commodities supplier that launched a $2.25bn fundraising recently, is fending off further criticism of its financials and debt levels, with research firms Muddy Waters and GMT having issued new reports on the company.

Shell’s £47bn agreement to buy BG Group has stirred up optimism among debt bankers that mergers and acquisitions in the EMEA region could at last take off, stimulating corporate funding needs.

The primary market in covered bonds was active this week, but not in its staple euro market. Canadian issuers came to the fore, supplying benchmark deals in sterling and dollars.

Malakoff, an independent power producer, has attracted 11 domestic cornerstone investors for almost 75% of its MR2.74bn ($744.16m) IPO, in a strong show of support for what is the biggest IPO in Malaysia since 2013.

Shinhan Bank’s red hot $600m five year bond this week impressed the market with its top notch pricing and timing. The $4bn order book was certainly eye catching, but observers were also won over by how the deal was able to shock a subdued Korean DCM market back into life.

BMW dominated corporate bond issuance in Europe on Thursday, with an unusually large €2.5bn transaction.

Unibail-Rodamco, the Franco-Dutch property company, attracted huge demand today for a combined offering of green bonds and ordinary bonds – possibly the first time an issuer has sold both in a single transaction.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has appointed Karim Assef and Diego De Giorgi co-heads of global investment banking.

The block trade business has been hugely important to equity capital markets businesses so far in 2015, and at this stage UBS and Goldman Sachs are leading the race. But Bank of America Merrill Lynch has made a hefty effort to catch up.

Transport for London has hired banks to run a roadshow for what will be a debut green bond for the issuer.

Royal Dutch Shell has obtained £3.025bn of bridge debt from Bank of America Merrill Lynch for its acquisition of BG Group, and is expected to syndicate a larger loan, according to senior bankers.

Royal Dutch Shell’s £47bn agreed takeover offer for BG Group, the UK gas exploration and production company, will include a £13.1bn cash component. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the original lender, mandated lead arranger and facility agent on the deal.