Deutsche Bank

European investment grade syndicated lending last year reached its highest volume since 2007, at $716.9bn, according to Dealogic data. More mergers and acquisitions are needed to maintain such high volumes in 2015, bankers agree, and QE could be a driving force for M&A.

Baoshan Iron & Steel (Baosteel) is seeking to issue its first euro bond after mandating seven banks for a series of investor meetings starting on February 3.

Philippine lender Security Bank made its mark on the dollar debt market for the first time on January 27, raising $300m from an order book that was close to six times covered. The good reception was helped by a tidy new issue premium and the country’s status as a safe haven from recent market volatility.

Meif Renewables, Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund Renewable Energy UK, priced its first bond issue on Thursday.

Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company, capitalised on its status as a rare issuer and a highly recognisable name to price a €750m seven year bond very tight to its notional curve on Tuesday, with a coupon of just 0.5%.

Sunrise Communications Group, the Swiss telecoms firm, on Tuesday set the price range for its Sfr1.35bn Zurich IPO at Sfr58-Sfr78 a share, less than a fortnight after the Swiss National Bank unexpectedly dropped the Swiss franc’s exchange rate ceiling against the euro.

Wittur, the German lift components producer, set price guidance for its €285m acquisition loan at a London bank meeting on Monday, only a day before its new private equity owner, Bain Capital, added TI Automotive to its portfolio.

The senior market was back in flow on Tuesday after a brief hiatus at the start of the week as market participants evaluated the results of the Greek election. A Syriza victory in the election was not enough to dull demand for FIG paper, with both Morgan Stanley and Rabobank drawing large order books for long dated deals.

The Republic of Philippines status as a safe haven from the recent bout of macro concerns has prompted renewed investor interest in the county. The increased optimism was reflected by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp’s (RCBC) bond two weeks ago, and another lender, Security Bank Corp is now looking to do the same after opening books on January 27.

Wittur, a German lift components maker, is holding a London bank meeting today as it markets a €485m debt package to investors.

Vakifbank has released price guidance for the first ever Basel III compliant tier two trade from Turkey at 7% area. Bankers are expecting tightening as the deal offers 120bp-140bp over the trading of the bank’s old style tier two 2022s.

In the latest twist in the saga of port services provider Pelabuhan Indonesia II’s $1bn loan, the borrower has decided to scrap general syndication and limit the deal to $550m which had already been prefunded by the seven banks leading the transaction.