BNP Paribas

Swiss franc bonds are frequenting treasurers’ minds again as windows for arbitrage funding return to the market. For three years, Swiss market participants have gritted their teeth as cross-currency basis swaps and attractive funding conditions in core markets squeezed supply from abroad. But this seems to be changing. Four foreign borrowers raised benchmark bonds this week, and bankers expect many more to follow before the summer lull. Silas Brown reports.

Kommuninvest printed a $1bn three year dollar bond on Wednesday, following the example set by Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK) but shaving an extra few basis points from its spread.

Climbing US Treasury yields and tightening swap spreads are pushing out levels in dollars, but Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK) managed a successful three year trade — a good omen for an upcoming deal from Kommuninvest on Wednesday.

A pair of supranationals hit opposite ends of the euro curve on Tuesday, keeping down their size ambitions in favour of tightening pricing.

German chemicals company BASF found substantial demand for its second visit to the corporate bond market to fund its acquisition of Bayer’s seed business.

The volume of euro and sterling high yield bonds on sale in Europe jumped to €1bn on Tuesday, after NBG Pangaea and Premier Foods hit the market with new offerings. Meanwhile, retail high yield funds enjoyed a second week of inflows.

BNP Paribas and OP Corporate Bank both marketed floating and fixed rate bonds in the euro market on Tuesday, with the latter able to offer a smaller premium because of its rarity in the capital markets, according to one banker away from the deals.

Bank of China’s aircraft leasing arm BOC Aviation sold a rare seven year dollar-denominated floating rate note (FRN) on Monday to an overwhelming response. The deal has opened the door to other financial institutions in the region looking to extend their funding profiles in the format.

Two mandates hit screens on Monday for supranational euro benchmarks. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), encouraged by a favourable basis swap, is set to make a rare appearance in the currency, coming to market alongside the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

Two A-rated corporates went head to head in the euro corporate bond market on Monday as UK pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and US electrical systems manufacturer United Technologies Corp both launched triple-tranche deals, with two matching maturities, which totalled €4.5bn.

Peking University Founder Group, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and BOC Aviation came out with floating rate deals on Monday as the format continues to find favour among investors.

Chinese telecommunication company ZTE, which is asking for a covenant waiver on a $450m loan, is set to get some relief after US president Donald Trump said he would work with China to get the company back to business soon.