BNP Paribas

Investors have successfully pushed pricing wider on three leveraged loan deals that are closing this week, with RAC, a well liked credit, the latest to flex for investors.

Czech Raiffeisenbank priced the first publicly syndicated euro benchmark covered bond from the country on Wednesday. At the same time, Toronto Dominion Bank mandated leads for its first Australian dollar covered bond.

For the first time the European Central Bank waded into the primary market for covered bonds for its third purchase programme (CBPP3) this week, as eurozone issuers from the currency bloc’s core and periphery returned after a long hiatus. The central bank’s buying may not be so good for core issuers but the evidence so far suggests peripheral names who have been locked out are about to bask in its largesse.

Louis Dreyfus — Geberit — Heathrow — Arkema

The publicity shy Schuldschein market has been in focus this week. Palfinger, a crane manufacturer based in Austria, raised €105m on Tuesday in a deal with the support of Asian investors, and Fraport, the German transport firm, made one of the largest Schuldschein deals of the year with €250m on Thursday.

The US investment grade corporate bond market barely blinked this week when the US Federal Reserve called time on quantitative easing. Companies hit the market ahead of what is expected to be a bumper November for new issuance.

French professional clothing firm Elis has put its planned initial public offering on hold, joining the growing ranks of European businesses delaying equity deals as a result of weak markets.

Indonesian power company Pertamina, which mandated 12 lenders for its $1.8bn five year loan, will fund a portion of the financing onshore.

Raoul Hessling joined the debt capital markets team at BNP Paribas at the beginning of October.

Unrated Tewoo Group managed to make its debut in the bond market on October 27 thanks in large part to a standby letter of credit (SBLC) provided by one of the joint global co-ordinators on the trade.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities is refinancing a loan facility raised in December 2011, reducing the amount from $800m to $600m.

French chemicals company Arkema has closed the syndication of the €1.5bn bridge facility for its €1.74bn acquisition of Bostik.