BNP Paribas

Verallia, the French glass bottle maker, started sounding investors on Thursday for an €860m-equivalent bond to finance its acquisition by alternative investment fund Apollo Global Management.

Thermo Fisher Scientific became the first US issuer to tap the euro corporate bond market for a fortnight on Thursday, bucking expectations by grabbing a skinny new issue premium compared with European issuers.

Deals for the Kenya Pipeline Company and the Itare Dam project provided a boost for the Kenyan infrastructure sector, but these types of deals move in slow motion according to bankers.

A €600m ($663m) two year financing for China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) has been opened into syndication. Two French lenders are leading the deal and they have invited a select group of banks to participate.

An unwelcome slump in deal activity comes just as banks are getting back on the front foot, writes David Rothnie.

Aéroports de Paris reopened the corporate bond market on Wednesday after two weeks' silence, using an attractive new issue premium to amass a €5bn order book for the €500m deal.

Italian construction firm CMC Ravenna has raised €306m from BNP Paribas and Intesa Sanpaolo to build the Itare Dam in Kenya, with most of the funds guaranteed by Italian export credit agency SACE.

Naspers reopened the market for CEEMEA corporates this week. But the rare nature of the credit means that few other borrowers can get away with similarly modest — if historically slightly elevated — premiums, said bankers on the deal.

CVC-sponsored Asia Education Investment is in the market for a $165m triple tranche facility, part of which will be used to recapitalise the major shareholder.

Altice is back in the European loan market, but for once not with an extravagant M&A financing. This month, Patrick Drahi’s telecoms group is seeking to refinance debt under its revolving credit facilities.

South African firm Naspers opted for a 10 year tenor for its first deal in two years. Debt bankers away from the deal applauded the decision, but could not agree on the premium the deal offered.

CEEMEA debt bankers spent Monday morning on the phone to issuers following news of a Greek bailout agreement. But prospects for supply still hinge on a Greek parliamentary vote on Wednesday, and even then not just any CEEMEA issuer will be able to launch, said debt bankers.