Barclays

The European high yield market is experiencing a post-Easter resurrection, with six new issues announced after the London market returned to work on Tuesday. While some of these trades were the lower-rated acquisition bonds investors having been crying out for, the bond market is still largely stuck with deals too long, too tight, too risky or too large for first lien loans.

Dexia printed a £1bn trade on Thursday, showing that borrowers interested in sterling can still see success in the UK market if they can be nimble enough around headline risk.

John Wood Group, the Scottish oil services company headquartered in Aberdeen, entered the US private placement market late on Wednesday.

Barclays beat expectations in fixed income, currencies and commodities trading (FICC), according to its first quarter results announced on Thursday, which it attributed to a strong performance in rates. This helped to offset reduced fees for deals and an equity trading slump, as its corporate and investment bank seeks to provide the return on capital in the face of shareholder pressure.

Xinyuan Real Estate Co tapped its existing 2021 notes on Wednesday, adding $100m to the bonds.

Cyprus received strong investor demand for its longest ever bond on Wednesday, with the combined order book for the dual tranche trade topping €10bn at the final terms.

The sterling market came alive this week, with three issuers raising their heads above the parapet after a few slow weeks in the currency.

Finablr, the Abu Dhabi-based cross-border currency and financial technology holding company which owns Travelex, is one of the few firms in the market with a live IPO. But banks are not rushing to set a price range, wanting to give investors more time to value the business.

An SSA/EM origination banker at Barclays resigned from the bank on Tuesday.

After weeks of thin issuance in European high yield, six deals were announced on Tuesday, of which two were true buyout financings, rather than the double-B refinancings that have dominated the market this year.

Dual currency high yield bonds to fund EG Group’s purchase of Woolworth’s petrol stations in Australia hit screens on Tuesday morning, the long-anticipated second slug of a financing part-placed in Australian dollars. The all-bond issue flies in the face of recent market trends, which have seen comparably-rated loans price well inside EG’s initial price thoughts.

The Republic of Cyprus mandated banks on Tuesday for a dual tranche comprising new five and 30 year bonds, with the latter the longest ever bond sold by the sovereign.