Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

The Republic of Poland pulled in €6bn of orders for a five year benchmark bond on Monday, with the issue four times covered as coronavirus fear still ripped financial markets.

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Vakifbank printed its $750m 5.25% 2025s on Wednesday from a book that reached higher than $4.3bn at its peak, but the note was seen below re-offer in London’s secondary market on Thursday morning.

Turkey's Vakifbank has released initial price guidance for a dollar benchmark, with the intention of printing the deal later on Wednesday.

Issuers across CEEMEA are continuing to soak investors dry, as data indicates this has been the busiest start to the year on record. Bankers have brushed off claims that fears around coronavirus and geopolitical volatility will put an end to the boom.

Czech lottery firm Sazka ventured into the euro high yield market again this week, issuing €300m of seven-year senior unsecured notes. The deal comes after Sazka made a successful debut in mid-November.

Romanian telecoms giant Digi issued an €800m bond this week, offering investors exposure to risky but fast-growing eastern European economies. Digi is joining the long list of companies taking advantage of exceptionally favourable refinancing conditions in European high yield.

Emerging market bond bankers were keeping their pipelines dry on Monday as fears about the new coronavirus stymied new issuance. But mandates still appeared, as Vodafone Ukraine signalled a roadshow for dollar bonds.

Russian borrowers are hitting the loan market early this year, as they push for tighter margins and looser covenants as volumes shrink. Norilsk Nickel, the nickel and palladium producer, is refinancing an existing $2.5bn facility, which bankers say will have tighter margins than the original deal that boasted the slimmest margins of any Russian syndicated loan in 2017. But not all lenders are as willing to concede to the Russians, writes Mariam Meskin.

The risk that huge amounts of oil and gas assets will be stranded by moves to tackle the climate emergency may be more pertinent for sovereign credit than for private sector corporate debt, according to new research.

Romania sold €1.4bn 2% 2032s and €1.6bn 3.375% 2050s on Tuesday, managing to get away half of the country’s €6bn funding target for 2020 in one swoop.

Ukraine printed its €1.25bn 10 year bond on Wednesday so far inside its own curve that its outstanding euro bonds moved 20bp tighter and its dollar bonds 10bp-15bp tighter. The deal drew a €7bn book.