Commerzbank

A group of four banks have launched a $300m three year bullet that marks Santander Consumer Finance’s (SCF) debut in the Asian syndicated loan market.

United Overseas Bank sold a landmark transaction this week, printing the first euro-denominated covered bond from Asia, and plans to become a frequent issuer in the market.

The smallest of Wednesday’s three corporate bond issues in Europe was Grenkeleasing’s €125m 5.1 year bond, led by BayernLB, Commerzbank and DZ Bank.

Santander Consumer Finance took advantage of relatively stable conditions in the Swiss franc market on Tuesday to print just its second bond in the currency.

ThyssenKrupp, the German industrial group, joined the surge of corporate bond issuance on Tuesday as the fallen angel company raised €750m.

Coal is about the most basic commodity. It has become deeply unfashionable in recent years, tarred as the worst culprit in global warming. The charge may be true, but the accusations are so vehement partly because promoters of other hydrocarbons — oil, gas, biofuels — want to disguise their own responsibility.

This week will see the Schuldschein market host its first two green deals, a new direction for the centuries-old private debt market.

The Russian loan market has brought its first dollar deal of the year with Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK) signing a long-awaited $1bn pre-export finance facility. The deal is its first syndicated loan since January 2014 and exceeds the size of any Russian loan of 2015.

Vodafone once again showed its capacity to surprise the capital markets on Monday, issuing €6bn of bonds in four tranches, only two working days after a £2.9bn convertible bond.

South African Investec is refinancing a $335m credit facility and is increasing the size of the deal to $400m.

Vodafone wasted no time catching its breath after closing books on Thursday's £2.9bn convertible bond, as it announced on Friday its intention to raise up to €3bn of conventional bonds as early as Monday.

Two FIG issuers this week took advantage of good conditions to tap the Swiss franc market, revealing an opportunity for other banks to escape widened euro and dollar spreads.