Barclays

Cyprus will return to the market with a pair of taps on Tuesday, hitting screens alongside the European Financial Stability Facility’s new five year line, providing an excellent opportunity to compare Cyprus’s cost of funds with the cost of the European Stability Mechanism’s pandemic crisis support facility.

Investors in UK universities are struggling to work out just how risky the sector is, as its lucrative international student intake as well as pension liabilities are still unclear. A report published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on Monday estimated that 13 universities may go bust if they do not either carry out debt restructurings or receive government bailouts.

Assicurazioni Generali launched a greent tier two capital bond in euros on Monday, confirming the appetite for riskier products across bank capital. The new deal left no premium on the table as the issuer capitalised on demand for green subordinated debt.

Barclays appoints levfin and sponsors leaders — Créd Ag gives Goldfischer UK role — BTIG hires Huggins

The huge demand seen for ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s buyout financing, the largest bridge loan left on banks’ books through the Covid-19 crisis, should reassure credit committees and capital markets operators that the LBO market is wide open again, for the right business. Owen Sanderson reports.

Europe’s high grade market finally found a solid footing on Thursday after days of scrabbling for purchase, with the biggest trades of the day landing flat or through fair value.

Banks backing Cinven, KKR and Providence’s take-private of MasMovil have boosted the size of the euro loan tranche in the market this week by €500m, cutting down the planned bond that will fund the remainder of the deal, the first major LBO announced in Europe since the coronavirus crisis.

Exchangeable bonds are emerging as a key coronavirus tool for corporates — one they can use to monetise stakes in companies they own without having to concede large discounts by selling shares.

National Grid Electricity Transmission, the UK power transmission company, was out with a dual tranche trade on Thursday, including the first test of the conventional sterling benchmark market in more than a month.

Barclays has appointed two new chairs of its leveraged finance and sponsors business, with Chris Turner relocating to New York to become chairman of global leveraged finance.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the Italian-American crossover-rated car company, launched €3.5bn of bonds into the market on Tuesday, days after its Italian arm had agreed €6.3bn of bailout funds guaranteed by Italy.

Weir Group, the UK engineering company, has signed bank lines totalling $1.19bn, but amid coronavirus-related market volatility, banks required a higher margin than on the deal being refinanced.