Barclays

Bankers working on Axis Bank’s new dollar bond are expecting a strong response from investors as the issuer makes its first appearance in two years. A lack of Indian bank supply combined with positive sentiment towards the country is likely to work in its favour.

Regulators have agreed a first round of fines over rigging the G10 FX markets, but with big beasts such as the US Department of Justice conspicuous by their absence from the settlement, there could be plenty more to come.

Virgin Money, the UK challenger bank backed by Richard Branson and Wilbur Ross, succeeded in pricing its £312m IPO on Wednesday, though at the bottom of the price range. The sale brought the former Northern Rock back to the stockmarket, six and a half years after it was nationalised after suffering a deposit run in 2007.

German IT company SAP today priced €2.75bn of the €4bn bonds it said it would issue to fund its acquisition of US expenses software firm Concur. The deal generated huge demand, with order books across the three tranches bulging to €11bn.

Barclays and MSCI have launched a green bond index family, which will run alongside their existing environmental, social and government fixed income indices.

The European Financial Stability Facility was able to price its tightest ever 10 year benchmark this week, while sovereign, supranational and agency officials cast doubt on whether European Central Bank covered bond buying would have much knock-on effect on SSA bond spreads when supply surges in January.

The November deluge of dollar supply continued as companies from across the high-grade spectrum printed a total of $25bn in three days of issuance this week, led by nervous energy and resources companies.

Australia and New Zealand Bank on Wednesday issued the tightest ever deal issued by an Australian bank in euros. The five year bond nevertheless offered a decent pick-up to where covered bonds issued by eurozone banks have been priced, and to the issuer’s curve.

Santander returned to covered bonds this week with its first deal in nearly two years which, by virtue of its sheer size and duration, was remarkable. The two tranche deal included a 20 year piece that has not been seen in covered bonds for seven years. This was targeted to asset managers and insurers in the private sector — in sharp contrast to many other deals such as a €250m four year tap from LBBW that the Bundesbank mostly bought. The trades rammed home the distortion the European Central Bank's purchase programme (CBPP3) is causing the covered bond market which market makers said had potential to cause considerable mark to market pain.

Sterling investors got a rare treat on Thursday from Yorkshire Building Society, which re-entered the tier two market for the first time in years, building a four times oversubscribed book.

Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby has picked four banks to supply the funds for its latest loan. The size of the fundraising is around $800m and it is split into a revolver and a term loan.

Yorkshire Building Society is set to sell its first tier two bond in years, building a substantial book for a £250m 10 year non-call five year.