Citi

Apple and Walt Disney starred in the US corporate bond market this week, as the market roared back from the Labor Day holiday with a huge stack of deals that bankers said had broken the record for a single week in the US corporate and financial institution bond market.

Bank of Ireland was unable to complete the sale of a tier two transaction this week, after the UK Parliament descended in chaos. Bond buyers have by and large taken a pragmatic approach during Brexit negotiations, but market participants said that on this occasion the Irish issuer had “misjudged” how nervous investors were, writes David Freitas.

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The frenzy of investment grade corporate bond issuance in Europe intensified on Thursday, when eight companies came to market, issuing a total of €6.6bn of paper in euros. That brought the total for the first four days of this week to over €20bn. Despite the heavy supply, issuers have found sufficient demand to support their notes.

Emerging market issuers are moving to print in the bond markets as investors’ desperation for positive yield hits fever pitch. With some borrowers looking to refinance maturities falling due in 2020 and 2021, a pivot towards bonds from loans, and Gulf Cooperation Council sovereigns rumoured to be making moves, some bankers say this year could challenge the record for annual CEEMEA volume.

Two Russian steel companies have announced mandates and roadshows this week and look set to become the first corporates from the country to test the bond market since the latest round of US sanctions on their country in early August.

The dollar SSA market saw a clear schism this week between the maturities investors favour, with shorter end trades tightening pricing while longer maturity deals were forced to print in line with initial price thoughts.

Investors were given a double dose of green paper from the Philippines this week, as Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) rolled out a $300m sustainability bond a day after Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) sealed a green deal.

Equity capital markets are abuzz in Hong Kong as issuers rush to take advantage of the first window to list since business closed for the summer. Among them, consumer finance company Home Credit and China’s Bank of Guizhou are each targeting $1bn listings.

IHS, an African telecoms provider, is returning to the bond market to take advantage of excellent market conditions and refinance its outstanding 2021 bond.

Chinese online insurance platform Huize Holding is planning an up to $150m IPO of American Depository Shares (ADS), filing a draft prospectus with the market regulator on Wednesday.

Five new corporate bond issues including a €3bn issue from AT&T hit the market on Wednesday, after Danaher had completed its €6.25bn deal on Tuesday, leaving room for more companies to borrow.