Deutsche Bank

The GlobalCapital editorial team has picked what it believes to be the standout bond issues of 2015 across the corporate, high yield, public sector, financial institution and emerging market bond markets. Below are the High Yield Deals of the Year 2015.

Nyrstar, the Belgian zinc and lead producer, failed to reach a quorum at an extraordinary general meeting in Brussels today to approve its rescue rights issue. But it had expected this, and is confident the capital raising will be approved at a second EGM in January.

After an eventful year for European corporate bonds, HSBC has ousted BNP Paribas as top bookrunner for European issuers, though BNPP stays top for all corporate issues in euros.

Kathrein, the German communications technology manufacturer, has signed a €350m revolving credit facility for refinancing purposes.

Citi held onto its top spot in the CEEMEA bond league tables this year and continued its grab of market share even though absolute volumes were destroyed. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas and Goldman Sachs lost ground as Barclays, Société Générale, Unicredit and Standard Chartered Bank rose through the ranks.

Deutsche Bank analysts are expecting a strong 2016 for European bank credit, with tier two in particular tipped to outperform.

Extraordinarily low volumes of new bonds this year meant that 2015 rivalled the financial crisis of 2008-2009 for the pace of high profile CEEMEA staffing changes on syndicate and DCM. Where are they all now?

Finnish pulp and paper maker Stora Enso has tightened margins again on its €700m revolving credit facility, this time by 20bp, after having already reduced margins on the deal by 35bp two years ago.

Commerzbank this week became the latest bank to lose its place on a sovereign’s list of primary dealerships, raising a familiar, weary groan from SSA bankers worried about the future of the model — but the head of a major eurozone sovereign has said that issuers are on the banks’ side.

Persistent volatility has left the vast majority of bank capital trades trading wider in 2015, with poor periphery performers joined by some notable big hitters at the bottom of the pile.

Dexter Axle, the US car axle maker, looks set to allocate its leveraged loan package by Friday midday, after having reduced the size of the deal.

Amid the boardroom turmoil, strategic rethinks and headline grabbing megadeals, Europe’s most senior corporate financiers tell GlobalCapital’s David Rothnie why 2015 was a letdown and why 2016 will be better.