Crédit Agricole

Vitol held a bank meeting last week to refinance its flagship loans. The Swiss-headquartered firm will not increase the loan from $7.5bn, according to bankers.

Orange has returned to the market to increase a long-dated private medium term note, a week after it sold the original print in its first appearance in the MTN market in two years.

A pair of supranationals have unveiled plans to bring bonds with an environmental flavour. One issuer may delight European Central Bank officials with a super rare appearance in euros.

Covered bond issuers have front loaded this week, printing €5.5bn in just two days via seven deals.

A pair of Asian agencies have tackled the long end in dollars, but despite attracting big order books and setting spreads at the tight end of guidance, bankers stressed the deals should not be taken as a sign that the dollar market is back to full strength.

Belgium is out with the longest dated deal from a sovereign, supranational or agency — outside the emerging markets — since February. And it is drawing a rip-roaring response which could encourage other issuers to look at the long end.

Asian bond issuers have finally decided to venture back into the market with a trio of investment grade names opening books to dollar deals. Export-Import Bank of China (Chexim), Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and Korea Development Bank are vying for attention in the first test of investor demand in three weeks.

Belgium has mandated for the first fixed rate benchmark longer than 20 years in the sovereign, supranational and agency sector in euros since February, while an Austrian agency also found demand at the long end of the euro curve.

Crédit Agricole CIB said it had appointed Isabelle Girolami as global head of global markets.

Iberdrola sold its second benchmark deal of the year on Monday, gathering together a heavily oversubscribed order book despite coming head to head with fellow Spanish issuer Telefonica.

A pair of SSAs hit screens with euro benchmark mandates on Monday — and bankers are confident that market conditions will stay bright to support even more expected supply.

Crédit Agricole's head of project finance has moved to a new job as head of special projects with two from the project finance team taking over his old responsibilities.