Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Equity capital markets investors had a chance to buy Russian risk again on Tuesday evening, as Otkritie Bank sold a Rb30.4bn ($400m) stake in gold miner Polymetal.

The Republic of Poland, the first European country to issue a Panda bond in August 2016, has finished the documentation process for its second onshore renminbi offering, GlobalCapital China understands.

Turkish lender Garanti BBVA has lost a director in its funding department.

Ignitis Grupe, the state-owned Lithuanian energy and utility company, has filed IPO paperwork in preparation for a listing in Vilinus and London.

The National Bank of Ukraine’s (NBU) decision to maintain interest rates against pressure to cut them was not enough reassurance for analysts worried about the broader reform agenda in the country. As the saga continues surrounding the ownership of one of its banks rumbles on, a number of obstacles stand in Ukraine’s path to recovery.

Norilsk Nickel, the Russian metal and mining company, was set to issue a benchmark dollar bond on Thursday evening, just months after it was found responsible for a series of major diesel spills.

Equity capital markets investors welcomed the return of Russian deals on Tuesday night as two large shareholders exited Detsky Mir, the children’s retailer. Bankers expect more deals to come and are urging sellers, if possible, to come to market early to avoid running close to the US presidential election in November.

Norilsk Nickel, the Russian metal and mining company which has found itself under heightened scrutiny in recent months after a series of major oil spills, is set to raise a dollar denominated benchmark bond this week. Russian telecom major Veon was also in the market for its second rouble offering in recent months.

Oleg Mukhamedshin, deputy chief executive of Rusal, which produces 9% of the world’s aluminium, tells Mariam Meskin how the company has weathered yet another rocky period in commodity markets. And how its sustainability credentials have been affected by oil spills at its affiliate, Norilsk Nickel, in May and June.

The European Union is to impose sanctions on leading Belarusian officials after condemning the country’s presidential election as rigged. But bond investors are not in panic mode.

Hong Kong-listed Summit Ascent Holdings, an investment holding company focused on operating resorts, is planning a rights issue worth HK$1.6bn ($206m).

Domestic lenders across central and eastern Europe, often government owned, have stepped up during the coronavirus pandemic to provide substantially more funding than ever before. But international bankers still see plenty of syndicated lending opportunities in the region.