EIB

The European Investment Bank showcased central banks’ focus on diversification on Tuesday afternoon, selling a Canadian dollar benchmark. The currency enjoyed a resurgence in 2013 as central banks increased their buying of non-core dollars.

The European Investment Bank mandated lead managers for a new Canadian dollar benchmark on Monday afternoon, looking to secure demand from central banks keen on diversifying their holdings.

An attractive cost of funding compared to euros and dollars lured Oesterreichische Kontrollbank to sell its first sterling debt in nearly five years on Monday afternoon. Other issuers could follow the Austrian agency soon, according to syndicate bankers.

Read on to see how deals priced in the first week and second weeks of the year are faring. Trading levels given are the bid-side spreads versus mid-swaps and/or an underlying benchmark bond as of Thursday's close. The source for secondary trading levels is Interactive Data.

Caisse d’Amortissement de la Dette Sociale crowned a barnstorming day in dollars on Wednesday, selling its largest ever benchmark in the currency. Asian Development Bank and the European Investment Bank also basked in strong demand with trades further out the curve.

Moments after becoming the first supranational or agency of the year to bring a 10 year benchmark in euros the European Investment Bank looked to repeat the trick in dollars, hiring a trio of banks on Tuesday afternoon to run a 10 year syndication.

The European Investment Bank is set to open the market for 10 year euro paper from supranationals and agencies on Tuesday, after mandating banks for a January 2024 bond on Monday.

Read the funding scorecard this week to see how selected European supranationals and agencies have got on in the busy first few weeks of the year.

If 2013 was the year when Socially Responsible Investments burst into the mainstream, then 2014 should be the year where issuers and bookrunners start pushing these instruments towards the same level of maturity seen in other sectors.

The European Investment Bank sold the first euro denominated green bond of the year on Monday, a tap of five year notes. The deal coincided with the release of Green Bond Principles, a set of voluntary guidelines for green issuance.

Network Rail opted for sterling on Wednesday, despite expectations that it would start the year off with a three to five year dollar deal.

The European Investment Bank sold the first ever green bond in the Swiss franc market on Wednesday afternoon, continuing a string of successful SSA issuance at the far end of the curve in the currency this week.