Euro

The Netherlands plans to join the burgeoning list of sovereign green bond issuers and could become the first triple-A rated country in the group. Whether the bond will be via syndication or the country's preferred auction method has yet to be decided. Meanwhile, two of the country’s public sector SRI borrowers were busy in the format this week.

A mix of political, economic and market forces is “shaping up to be a perfect storm” for the eurozone debt markets, investors have warned.

UK supermarket retailer Tesco announced on Monday that its most recent tender offer had been oversubscribed, completing a successful liability management exercise (LME) after selling €750m of bonds a fortnight previously. The company hopes the success of the deal will help it on the way to regaining its investment grade status with all rating agencies.

KfW received a final book of over €12bn for a five year euro benchmark on Tuesday, while the City of Hamburg closed out its funding for the year with its longest outstanding bond. Finnvera will add to the euro SSA supply this week, after mandating banks for a short 10 year that is likely to be its final syndication of the year.

China's Guodong Network Communications is seeking a debut loan of up to €150m ($170m) in syndication.

KfW mandated banks on Monday for the first euro benchmark in the public sector market from a supranational or agency in two weeks.

Italy’s government bonds rallied to their tightest spreads versus Bunds since the start of the month after S&P opted to hold its rating for the country at BBB, while moving its outlook to negative from stable last Friday. But while there may be some respite for Italy in the weeks ahead, Germany chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision on Monday to step down at the end of her term in 2021 has left analysts fretting about the overall path of the eurozone.

One of the three major Portuguese football clubs has announced plans to sell a new corporate bond. Sporting Lisbon is set to refinance its borrowing for a third time, having sold its first issue in 2008. However, the club has been through a particularly troublesome period on and off the pitch.

Rating: B2/—/B+

The European Central Bank made clear on Thursday that it will not be Italy’s doting aunt to the European Commission’s disciplinarian parent after the latter dumped the sovereign on the naughty step by rejecting its budget plans this week. Some investors warned that while Italy’s problems are contained for now, further antagonism between Rome and the eurozone’s authorities raises the risk of a junk rating for Italy and contagion to other markets.

The hefty chunk of SRI bond supply from the public sector in the second half of the year shows no signs of slowing down, with plenty in the pipeline — including from a debut issuer.

Tunisia raised €500m of five year paper on Wednesday with a 144A/Reg S benchmark.