Commerzbank

Zurich-based syndicate heads entered the new year cautiously optimistic about the outlook for Swiss franc bond issuance in 2019.

Qatar’s Doha Bank has closed a $525m unsecured facility as lenders demonstrated healthy appetite for the small and politically isolated Gulf country.

Commerzbank reopened the covered bond market with the first covered bond of the year and the first in more than a month. The generously priced two part transaction was slow to start, but in the context of a weak and volatile market backdrop, the size was impressive.

DCM bankers believe financial institutions will seek to hold back on launching new bond deals if markets cannot find a footing at the beginning of the new year.

Commerzbank and LBBW are looking to become one of the first issuers in the euro market in 2019, having both announced new mandates for covered bonds on Friday.

Danish logistics company Maersk opted to please all of its investors who tendered bonds as part of the company’s recent liability management exercise when it announced on Tuesday that it had increased the total amount it would buy back.

Mergers and acquisitions in Europe are back. But what loans bankers have long hoped would be great news for their businesses is in most cases turning out to be a far less lucrative development, as companies increasingly turn to smaller banking groups to finance their acquisition plans. By Michael Turner.

Danish logistics company Maersk gave investors something other than political and economic matters to consider this week when it announced a tender offer for its shortest dated euro bonds on Monday. If the current poor tone in the bond markets continues into 2019, this type of exercise could become more prevalent, writes Nigel Owen.

Danish logistics company Maersk gave investors something other than political and economic matter to consider this week when it announced a tender offer for its shortest dated euro bonds on Monday.

Rating: Aaa/AA/AAA

The European Union will look to return to the private placement market for the first time since July 2017 to kick-off its funding programme next year. The supranational was also able to take advantage of strong conditions — since weakened — at the start of the week to bring a public market transaction.

Michael Reuther, who runs Commerzbank’s corporate clients unit, will leave his role when his contract finishes in September next year. He said that that he wants to “embark on a new chapter in my professional life”.