BNP Paribas

Volkswagen has returned to the public straight bond markets in its own name for the first time since September 2015, when it was swept from the market by its emissions test cheating scandal. Bond markets being what they are, a multi-billion euro blowout is likely.

The socially responsible bond pipeline ballooned on Tuesday, with a European supranational announcing a roadshow for a debut issue, a French agency mandating for a deal and a Washington supranational pricing a social bond in benchmark size for the first time.

Unédic launched a 10 year benchmark on Tuesday. The deal came in the wake of a televised debate between the French presidential candidates that appeared to restore investors’ confidence in French names, according to an SSA syndicate banker at one of the leads.

Private equity firm Ardian has acquired a majority stake in Prosol Group, the parent company of Grand Frais, the French supermarket company.

The Netherlands' Achmea Bank is looking to raise funds in the Swiss franc bond market in the near future, having mandated three banks to take it on a roadshow next week.

Emperor International Holdings is gearing up for a new dollar bond, hiring nine firms to work on the transaction, while Japfa Comfeed Indonesia is looking for fresh funds to partly redeem its 2018s.

Spearhead International, a central and eastern Europe based agriculture company, has signed its first syndicated loan for €167m.

Buoyed by relief following a Dutch election in which Eurosceptic Geert Wilders’ hopes of forming a government were dashed, public sector borrowers are flocking back to capital markets.

A pair of public sector borrowers are set to bring socially responsible bonds this week, with one aiming at the dollar short end and the other at the long end of the euro curve.

Shares in Deutsche Bank, the largest bank in Germany, fell 2.7% on Monday morning after it published its 2016 annual report and launched its €8bn two-for-one rights issue.

Société Générale and HSBC were both looking to print total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC) eligible deals on Monday, as investors showed further appetite for floating rate product.

Pre-marketing for Asian IPOs picked up in earnest on Monday, with Guotai Junan Securities Co’s $2bn listing in Hong Kong among those vying for investor attention.