Coronavirus

KfW made an impressive statement by taking out size with a small new issue premium for a three year euro deal on Wednesday. Bankers say the deal is a sign of concessions reaching a floor following the huge premiums offered since the return of SSAs to the primary market.

The European Investment Bank joined the ranks of supranationals issuing debt to support the fight against Covid-19 this week, using its recently updated sustainability awareness bond (SAB) framework to raise Skr3bn ($299m) to finance its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

SSA borrowers are going to be scrambling for cash to meet expanded borrowing requirements as they finance the fight against the coronavirus and its effects, but a period of four weeks where the market was all but shut have left the run-rate slightly behind the last few years. Some dealers are finding more success than usual in the new conditions, while others are falling behind.

Russian commodity and metals companies are rethinking financing plans and talking to bankers about loans amid the drastic change in outlook due to Covid-19 and the oil price war. But bankers say borrowers insistent on pre-coronavirus terms on their deals must lower their expectations.

Equipment rental firm Loxam has signalled that it plans to shore up its liquidity by tapping the French government’s loan guarantee scheme — an option off the table for leveraged companies elsewhere.

Auto Trader, the UK online vehicle marketplace, has become the latest London-listed corporate to raise equity in response to the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis.

The Pre-Emption Group, an assembly of listed companiesm investors and intermediaries that monitors pre-emption rights in the UK, has changed its guidelines to say that the impacts of the Covid-19 coronavirus means investors should support companies selling new shares worth up to 20% of their market capitalisation without giving existing shareholders first refusal.

Glencore, the Swiss-headquartered commodity trading and mining group, has agreed $14.625bn of loans, becoming one of the last in Europe to lock in pre-crisis terms.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary capital markets activity. The North American corporate bond market funded a staggering record $194bn of investment grade issues in March while Europe has also been busy — shaking up the league tables and yielding a surprise windfall for the very largest investment banks.

Lloyds Bank is looking to buy back one of its more costly perpetual tier one capital instruments, after its valuation collapsed in March. The move took some market participants by surprise, since it would have been approved by UK authorities, which are at the same time insisting that the country's banks conserve their capital levels during the coronavirus crisis.

Underwriting banks must subscribe to 30% of AMS's Sfr1.75bn (£1.81bn) rights issue after the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus smashed the Austrian sensor maker's share price during the offer period. Equity capital market sources said they have never seen a market which is so bad for issuance.

The UK Debt Management Office announced plans this week to raise the biggest volume of Gilts in a single calendar month as it prepares for a significant increase to its financing programme from government’s measures to support the economy through the coronavirus outbreak.