Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Oberbank sold a senior bond in euros on Wednesday, following in the footsteps of NatWest Markets, Luminor Bank and Svenska Handelsbanken, which on Tuesday also issued senior deals. NatWest attracted the largest order book for its floating rate notes.

The CEEMEA region is lining up one of its busiest fortnights of the year for bond issuance as Black Sea Trade and Development Bank and the Republics of Serbia, Croatia and Lithuania join a swathe of EM issuers already on the road. JP Morgan looks to be solidifying its position at the top of the CEEMEA league tables — it has been picked for every one of the deals mandated on Tuesday.

Ukraine has mandated banks for a seven year euro-denominated benchmark bond, with the sovereign due to meet investors after a sharp rally in its bonds.

In this round-up, US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin called the talk with Chinese central bank governor Yi Gang ‘candid’ on Twitter, the Mainland warned domestic tourists and students against planning trips to the US, and both the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered predictions for Chinese GDP growth thanks to trade tensions.

Ukrainian wood processor Kronospan has secured a €116m loan from the EBRD and commercial lenders. The deal adds light to a desolate market, though a loan for Ukrainian borrower MHP may be at risk due to competition concerns.

BlackRock, KKR loan for ADNOC 'close to signing' — Uralkali signs as lenders prepare for EuroChem —Redexis joins Spanish trend to ESG borrowing — French Ipsen debuts in US PP market — Turkish banks close refi season, with wider secondaries

Rating: Baa2/BBB-/BBB

The Federal Reserve is losing confidence in the US economy, global economic growth is flagging and Treasury yields are staggeringly low. Emerging market assets, meanwhile, are full of beans, as low rates and healthy risk appetite provide a magic combination for EM companies looking to raise capital. But the Fed is worried for a reason: there’s trouble ahead, write Lewis McLellan and Sam Kerr.

Turkish banks have completed the first refi season of the year and, despite ongoing geopolitical issues including concerns about Turkey's purchase of S400 missiles from Russia, spreads in the secondary loan market have stabilised at slightly wider levels.

Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) broke a 16 year bond market hiatus with a five year dollar benchmark on Wednesday, raising $500m without paying a new issue premium.

PKO Bank Hipoteczny issued its debut green covered bond on Wednesday, the first deal of its type from Poland. This deal is the ninth covered bond with an environmental and social governance (ESG) purpose to have been launched this year and, according to Commerzbank research.

Slovenská sporiteľňa’s first euro benchmark covered bond attracted strong demand from investors on Wednesday reflecting the transaction’s tempting returns in a largely negative yielding market, as well as its top credit rating.