Bank of America

CRH, the Irish building materials company, has signed a bridge loan for the full €6.5bn it is paying cement makers Holcim and Lafarge for a package of assets in Europe, Canada, Brazil and the Philippines.

India played host to one of its largest ever ECM transactions last Friday when Coal India completed a Rp226.13bn ($3.68bn) divestment of the government’s stake in a deal that has been two years in the making. Bankers lauded the trade and believe it will keep the momentum going for several more share sales to hit the market before India ends its fiscal year in March.

India’s HDFC Bank could launch a Rp100bn ($1.62bn) share sale soon to bolster its capital position once it secures all the regulatory approvals.

The Modi administration launched its up to Rp226.13bn ($3.68bn) offer for sale of shares in Coal India on Friday, a mammoth trade which could be one of India’s biggest yet.

The pace of activity in equity block trades picked up this week, even though European markets fell as often as they rose.

OVS, the Italian clothing retailer, has begun investor education for an IPO, which could involve about €350m of new shares being issued, as well as a smaller amount of secondary stock. They could add up to as much as 49% of the stock being listed.

OVS, the Italian clothing retailer, has begun investor education for an IPO, which could involve about €350m of new shares being issued, as well as a smaller amount of secondary stock. They could add up to as much as 49% of the stock being listed.

Bond investors are hoping for a flood of US supply in the coming weeks as companies emerge from earnings blackout following a disappointing start to the year.

Indonesia industrials are returning to the dollar bond market, with MAXpower Group and Tower Bersama Infrastructure readying new deals.

Indian companies were out in full force this week to tap the equity capital markets. Leading the way was the Indian government’s long-awaited $3.95bn divestment of its stake in Coal India.

Vakifbank priced the first ever Basel III compliant tier two bond on Monday, a $500m 10 year non-call five. But though bankers estimated that the bond paid around 115bp-116bp over its old style tier two bullet 2022s, they said it was difficult to strip out the cost of the addition of point of non-viability features.

The bookbuild began today for the Spanish government's flotation of 49% of Aena, one of the largest airport operators in the world, in a deal that could top €4bn at the top end of the price range.