Euro

Fitch upgraded 13 multi-Cédulas (MC) bonds on Friday saying their exclusion from the bank recovery and resolution directive (BRRD) and an improvement in credit quality was behind the decision. The upgrades have taken most deals into single-A territory, which should be a boost to the sector. However, the move serves to highlight the rating agencies' divergent opinions.

Martin Nijboer, head of securitizations at ING Bank, has explained why his bank has set up a new soft bullet covered bond programme, which received approval this week from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM).

Covered bonds are expected to tighten, as the fall in outright yields and expectations of lower supply boost sentiment. On Thursday, dealers reported decent buying of peripheral bonds, and specifically Irish deals which were buoyed on speculation that a sovereign rating upgrade was on the way.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has published feedback to a consultation on Basel III liquidity rules, in which it confirms that its interpretation of the rules will be closely in line with the original international proposals published in December 2010. Covered bonds are expected to be eligible for inclusion as a level 2A asset.

Moody’s has said that a transfer of relatively risky assets from Crédit Foncier de France (CFF) to its parent BPCE is credit positive.

The race is on to issue the second legally compliant covered bond from New Zealand after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand signed off the covered bond programmes of ASB Bank, ANZ New Zealand, Bank of New Zealand and Kiwibank under the new law on Friday. The borrowers will be looking to emulate the success of Westpac New Zealand, which got a fantastic reception for its legally compliant debut in June.

European covered bonds have been relatively stable in the secondary market this week, though second tier banks in the periphery widened marginally on light selling on Friday, with Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena leading the way after posting a higher than expected loss. The move is likely to be short-lived provided the geopolitical backdrop does not worsen.

Covered bond issuance after the summer break is expected to be front-loaded, with a busy September likely to be followed by a quiet fourth quarter, a major covered bond issuer told The Cover on Wednesday. Nearly €80bn has been issued this year and a further €50bn could follow.

Banco Espirito Santo’s outstanding covered bond is bid only, and though little flow has been reported, dealers believe the offer is likely to be as much as 100bp tighter. In other news, Caffil’s bonds have performed well over the past month, outperforming the rest of the jurisdiction, partly driven by a new French law that limits the firm's litigation exposure by €66m which will considerably reduce the probability of a covered bond payment disruption.

Moody’s finally got round to taking rating action on over 40 Spanish multi-Cédulas covered bonds on Friday — some two years after putting them on review for downgrade. By biding its time the agency avoided the harsh downgrades to junk many had feared would cause forced selling.

RBS announced several proposals related to the swap triggers in its covered bond programme after being downgraded by Moody’s. The plans, which will be subject to an investor vote, will allow RBS to remain the swap counterparty and thereby help it to avoid the higher cost of employing an alternative swap provider as was envisaged under the original swap agreement.

Banca Popolare di Sondrio surprised the market on Tuesday, announcing and pricing its inaugural Obbligazioni Bancarie Garantite via sole lead BNP Paribas. The newcomer which is a slightly larger institution than its more established covered bond peer, Credito Emiliano, offered a deal with a substantial spread pick up enticing a broad swathe of investors. (This article has one comment)