Canada

Unédic and the Province of Quebec on Monday became the first issuers to print in euros since the European Central Bank disappointed market participants at a meeting of its governing council last week.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce took advantage of the back-up in three year euro swap yields following the European Central Bank meeting last week to issue a covered bond on Monday. The issuer paid a relatively small concession, funded 10bp more cheaply than it could have done in the dollar market and placed nearly a third with central banks.

The Province of British Columbia (BC) has mandated Bank of China and HSBC as joint leads for its debut Panda bond, Mike de Jong, BC’s Minister of Finance, told GlobalRMB. The deal is expected to launch in January and will be the first Panda from a sovereign credit.

The Province of British Columbia (BC) has moved one step closer to selling a Panda bond after it secured a quota of Rmb6bn ($973m) to issue renminbi-denominated notes in China’s interbank market.

A Canadian province braved the five year spot in dollars on Friday. A healthy spread over US Treasuries prompted strong demand despite negative five year swap spreads, which has caused other issuers to avoid this part of the curve.

Province of Manitoba

A Canadian province braved the five year spot in dollars on Friday. A healthy spread over US Treasuries prompted strong demand despite negative five year swap spreads, which has caused other issuers to avoid this part of the curve.

La Caisse Centrale Desjardins du Quebec (CCDJ) issued a €1bn five year covered bond on Thursday which offered the widest spread for a Canadian bank this year, but with little new issue premium.

Danske Bank in Finland, formally known as Sampo Housing Loan Bank, has mandated leads for its first covered bond since September 2012. Meanwhile, La Caisse Centrale Desjardins du Quebec (CCDJ) has also mandated.

The Province of Manitoba has placed its largest ever medium term note in euros, reaching what may be the largest cost effective size possible for swapping the proceeds into Canadian dollars, according to the issuer.

Not content with being the first foreign government to issuing an offshore renminbi bond, the Province of British Columbia (BC) is now aiming to access the reopened onshore Panda bond market as the next step in reinforcing its commitment to China, says Michael de Jong, BC’s Minister of Finance, to GlobalRMB in a phone interview.

SSA borrowers this week provided investors with a strong line up of innovative products. A new standard was set in SRI bonds, Cyprus raised €1bn via an innovative switch offer, Italy sold two year debt at a negative yield and British Columbia is lining up its debt Panda bond.