ESM-EFSF

The European Stability Mechanism has softened the eligibility criteria for its precautionary credit lines under a eurozone reform package sealed by the European Union on Tuesday.

The EU moved a step forward on its tortuous path towards completing its Banking Union on Monday night. Finance ministers agreed on some details relating to a backstop for the fund for resolving banks, but have not yet shown any sign of agreeing on a common deposit insurance scheme.

Public sector borrowers are gearing themselves for wider spreads and bigger new issue premiums in the euro market in 2019 following the expected end of the European Central Bank’s public sector purchase programme. The bigger and more liquid names will determine the environment for the rest of the market, according to SSA bankers.

Sister issuers the European Stability Mechanism and the European Financial Stability Facility will raise a combined volume that is €13.5bn less next year than their 2018 target.

A dollar benchmark from Rentenbank scored comfortably higher than a euro trade from the European Financial Stability Facility in the latest BondMarker results. That is in keeping with a few weeks where the dollar market has been far more resilient than a wobbly euro sector.

Secondary spreads in the euro public sector market have widened heavily across the curve with just over a month to go before the European Central Bank is expected to put an end to its Public Sector Purchase Programme. SSAs are also being affected by the political ructions from Italy, Brexit and the global trade war, said bankers.

Rating: Aa1/AA/AA

The European Financial Stability Facility finished off its 2018 issuance this week with what was likely the last jumbo euro benchmark of the year. The deal was solid, but SSA bankers warned the euro market feels “tired”.

The European Financial Stability Facility wrapped up its funding year by raising €4bn on Tuesday, tightening its pricing from guidance in the process. But despite the deal’s success, there are signs that the strength of the euro market is starting to wane into year-end.

The European Financial Stability Facility has opted to tackle a part of the euro curve where KfW found substantial demand last week, with a trade that SSA bankers said should provide a steer on the health of the euro market. There was one positive sign for the sector on Monday, as a Dutch agency increased the size of an SRI bond from its initial target.

The European Stability Mechanism’s second ever dollar benchmark scored an overall average of 6.83 on BondMarker, amid a general trend of lower scores from public sector borrowers.

Investors were in defensive mode in the dollar market this week as they snapped up short dated trades and floating rate notes, with demand particularly heavy from central banks and official institutions. Bankers are hopeful that benchmark supply will return next week.