Banks

Royal Bank of Canada’s £1.25bn five year covered bond issued at 47bp over Sonia on Thursday was the tightest and largest transaction to reference the rate ever issued by a bank from outside the UK. The depth of demand illustrated that the bid for Sonia products has grown.

Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden (SBB), the Swedish social infrastructure and residential property investment company, launched a hybrid capital bond on Thursday, offering investors the chance to pick up junk rated paper from an investment grade issuer.

Romania sold €1.4bn 2% 2032s and €1.6bn 3.375% 2050s on Tuesday, managing to get away half of the country’s €6bn funding target for 2020 in one swoop.

Private equity firms are looking at different ways of monetising their investments, rather than the usual IPO routes, as regulation makes smaller firms less viable in the public markets. Alternative capital providers outside the usual buyout community are also boosting their allocations to private assets.

Swedish issuer Kommuninvest is preparing to launch its first deal of 2020 — a five year Swedish krona note.

DeA Capital Real Estate has signed an €85m green loan, which lenders say is the first in the Italian property sector.

Ukraine printed its €1.25bn 10 year bond on Wednesday so far inside its own curve that its outstanding euro bonds moved 20bp tighter and its dollar bonds 10bp-15bp tighter. The deal drew a €7bn book.

Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel (BFCM) added to the sterling market's fast start to the year on Thursday, launching a new preferred senior bond in the currency and awarding investors with a small new issue premium.

Macquarie Group was well-supported on its return to the euro market on Thursday, as it launched its first senior offering in the currency since February 2018.

Credit Bank of Moscow sold its $600m five year bond “flat to the curve” on Wednesday, according to a syndicate official on the deal.

HSBC is looking for a new head of corporate finance coverage to replace Matthew Wallace, who is quitting the firm. Meanwhile, Simon Derrick and Michael Ellam have been handed new jobs as the bank reorganises the way it covers investors and public sector institutions. In Asia Pacific, Rami Hayek is leaving his post.

There was a burst of activity from Chinese pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the equity capital markets this week, as the sector took centre stage following the spread of a flu-like virus that has already claimed lives on the mainland. Jonathan Breen reports.