Banks

UK housing associations are regular and popular users of the sterling corporate bond market. Friday saw the first deal of 2019 from the UK’s largest housing association and the deal proved demand had in no way waned.

On Monday, the US deliveries group FedEx returned to the euro corporate bond market for the first time since its debut visit in 2016 when it raised €3bn to finance its purchase of Dutch peer TNT Express. That deal was a four-tranche combination, but its latest deal was just a €500m 3.5 year deal to refinance the shortest tranche of the debut deal.

On Friday, American data centre owner Digital Realty sold the first green corporate bond in euros of 2019, but investors did not have long to wait for the second one as Italian energy company Enel also chose to issue in the format.

The European Banking Authority is sceptical about HSBC’s decision to re-grant capital treatment to some legacy debt instruments last year, but it is unsure about the leverage it can exert over UK authorities in light of the country’s upcoming departure from the EU.

China’s Dalian Wanda Group has filed for a US IPO of up to $500m for its sports business, according to a source close to the deal.

Shandong Qingyuan Group has closed a $430m one year self-arranged club loan with five participants.

Dollar bond issuance in Asia appears to have got off to a strong start, with a rally both in the primary and secondary markets. But that is not enough for many DCM bankers in the region, who are hoping for a bigger upside.

Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) has launched a $700m multi-tranche loan into general syndication, raising some debate among bankers about the tight pricing on offer.

China’s Kepei Education has started bookbuilding for its HK$954m ($122m) IPO amid regulatory uncertainties around the sector in the Mainland, according to a source close to the deal.

South Korea’s third largest life insurer, Kyobo Life Insurance, has lined up three firms to lead its IPO, according to a source working on the deal.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has appointed two senior bankers as co-presidents of Asia Pacific, succeeding Matthew Koder who took on a new position last year.

Danske Bank was set to complete its bond sale on Friday at a slightly higher price, after activist investor Bill Browder forced a delay due to his comments about its money laundering scandal this week. Before the postponement, Danske had drummed up a large amount of support in the dollar market, as UniCredit did earlier in the week.