CEE Bonds

Barclays has made a series of hires in its emerging markets credit business.

Turkiye Is Bankasi (Isbank) recently signaled its intention to issue, while HSBC Canada has registered a covered bond corporate entity.

Russian borrowers seem to have no trouble accessing capital markets, despite sanctions and international condemnation for the Russian government's alleged poisoning of the spy, Sergei Skripal, in the UK. But that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Despite the lip service paid to the idea of responsible investment, most investors are not so choosy.

Turkcell İletişim Hizmetleri, the largest mobile operator in Turkey, has mandated three banks to arrange a 10 year dollar bond.

Russia's State Transport Leasing Company (STLC) could return to the dollar market bond as early as this week, according to bankers on the deal.

Three issuers broke the brief new issue hiatus in the CEEMEA market on Thursday, all starting with wide levels to tempt investors into their books.

Globalworth, an AIM-listed real estate investment trust focused on Poland and Romania, released initial price guidance for a euro benchmark seven year bond at 3.375% area, talk that a syndicate official away from the note represented around a 40bp pick up over fair value. The talk was later in the morning updated to 3.125%-3.25% with leads saying the deal will price in range.

Ukrainian poultry producer MHP was offering a chunky concession to its own curve on Thursday as it looks to push out its debt maturity profile with a new issue to finance a buy-back of its 2020s.

Russia’s new bond may well be an act of defiance from the government, but it was also a savvy move in the capital markets as pressure on the country increases. Russia must have been keen to show that it did not need to alter course for funding in the face of allegations that it has poisoned ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK. But financially it was also a sensible move that helps to fund the country in the face of an escalation of the situation.

Ukrainian steel and mining company Metinvest is planning to buy back the complex secured bonds it issued as part of its $2.3bn debt restructuring last year, and will finance the move with a new dual tranche dollar offering.

A book of $7.5bn suggests investors had few qualms about investing in Russia’s $4bn Eurobond, despite unusual clauses contained in the documentation, which has been designed to explicitly help wealthy Russians circumvent future sanctions.

International condemnation of Russia, which stands accused of poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK, has not stopped the country from forging ahead with plans to raise money in the Eurobond market. Russia had taken orders of $4.5bn and revised guidance for a new 11 year bond and a tap of its 2047s by Friday lunchtime.