Europe

LBBW extended its non-preferred senior curve with a new green bond this week, hitting lead managers' price expectations in spite of soft market conditions.

Investors have been discounting UK bank bonds in the secondary market in recent weeks, as it becomes increasingly unclear how a change of prime minister will affect the country’s approach to leaving the EU.

Europe's corporate bond market is sauntering towards the holidays at a gentle pace, with spreads slightly wider and no one in a hurry. But deals are still available for issuers that want them.

The UK’s bulk annuity insurers have enjoyed exceptionally strong sales, and are now coming into the market for debt capital. But bond investors should be aware of the risks inherent in the business.

Günter Schubert will take over from Dieter Hengl as head of UniCredit’s corporate and investment bank in Austria.

Places for People, the UK housing association and property management company, has raised €150m from a privately placed note led by Goldman Sachs.

Muzinich & Co, the investment company focused on public and private credit, has launched a new fund for global short duration investment grade corporate bonds.

NatWest Markets, the investment bank owned by Royal Bank of Scotland, has launched its own environmental, social and governance deposit product, responding to a desire among companies, public bodies and investment firms to invest their cash ethically.

Strong equity market returns in 2019 have masked investor nerves and active asset mangers' reticence to buy stocks. The latest utterances of US Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell suggest they are right not to be taken in by record-breaking stock indices and that this bull market may be short lived.

Aroundtown, the German property developer, has raised €600m to finance the acquisition of more properties after its latest capital increase attracted significant demand from investors, despite headwinds facing the German real estate sector as a result of a looming rent cap in Berlin.

Greece took advantage of a significant rally in its government bonds to lock in its lower ever cost of funding on Tuesday.

Crédit Agricole has nabbed one of HSBC’s former sustainability bond leads to work on its sustainable financing team in Asia.