BNP Paribas

Deal after deal has hit screens in euros this week as issuers from all across the public sector spectrum printed in maturities from five to 30 years.

WHSmith, the UK newsagent and bookseller, has signed a £130m five year revolving credit line to use as its working capital facility, it said on Wednesday, while raising its full year profit forecast.

Egypt scored $4bn with its well timed, tightly priced dollar bond on Tuesday. The success of the deal was a function of both the strength of the market and the positive steps the Egyptian government has taken under its deal with the IMF.

MidAmerican Energy joined the growing ranks of US utility companies that have issued green bonds with an $850m dual tranche offering on Monday that was four times subscribed.

BNP Paribas’s global head of ECM is moving to a new job and the bank has hired a bulge bracket banker, aiming to expand its franchise in the business.

VodafoneZiggo obtained the go-ahead from leveraged loan investors on Tuesday to increase the size of its refinancing deal by more than €2bn while cutting margins.

While many of the main euro issuers have already scored their big January benchmarks, the pipeline of euro issuance is growing increasingly congested, although the range of maturities on offer should allow borrowers to avoid treading on each other's toes.

Egypt opened books on its triple tranche dollar bond on Tuesday amid a swell of positive sentiment towards the country following recent comments by the IMF noting high satisfaction with its progress under its extended fund facility.

France surpassed the expectations of even the most passionate supporters of the green bond market on Tuesday, selling comfortably the largest ever print in the format. Socially responsible investment (SRI) experts believe the deal makes it almost certain that other sovereign issuers will add green bonds to their funding mix.

Two more European sovereigns have hit screens with 10 year euro mandates, hoping to enjoy the same success that Portugal and Belgium with their deals at the 10 year range this year.

With the euro primary market to itself, Germany’s largest telecommunications provider announced a €3.5bn triple tranche bond deal on Monday morning, luring investors to the long end of its offering.

The Agence France Trésor has announced the maturity date for the first ever French sovereign green bond, which could be priced this week.