Europe

Ecofin, the investment manager that specialises in the infrastructure and environment sectors, launched an accelerated bookbuild on Wednesday evening to clean up all its shares in Direct Energie, the Paris-listed electricity company.

LafargeHolcim, the French-Swiss cement group, found ample demand in the European bond market on Wednesday for a tap issue, showing how keen appetite remains, despite the nearness of the UK’s referendum on leaving the European Union next week.

As European leveraged finance markets skid towards next week's UK referendum on EU membership, French glass bottle maker Verallia this week combined bonds and loans to cut its debt costs and pay Apollo Global a dividend.

Hollywood Bowl Group, the UK’s largest ten pin bowling club operator, owned by Electra, has announced plans for an IPO on the London Stock Exchange in July.

Shares in AcadeMedia, which claims to be the largest education company in Europe, soared on Wednesday in heavy trading volume on the first day after its IPO, which a banker said achieved a "record high level of oversubscription".

The Swedish National Debt Office has cut its borrowing needs over the next two years by Skr16.5bn ($1.98bn), including a chop of Skr2bn to its foreign currency bond programme.

Tele Columbus, Germany's third largest cable operator, is marketing a €125m five year loan to replace its second lien facility.

Dätwyler, the Swiss electronics company, has signed £497m of loan facilities backing its Sfr1bn (£700m) acquisition of Premier Farnell, which makes the Raspberry Pi mini-computer.

The Danish covered bond issuer extended its curve and priced a larger deal well inside where its inaugural five year was issued in March and with a fair oversubscription ratio.

Hungary is an area of focus for the loan market this week, with both MOL Group and Hungarian Eximbank weighing up commitments from lenders.

Sysco Corp, the US food service group, completed the financing for its acquisition of UK peer Brakes Group on Tuesday with a €500m bond that was successfully sold in the teeth of market volatility.

FCA Bank, the Italian car finance bank, joined US company Sysco in issuing a euro corporate bond on Tuesday, despite turbulent market conditions — and like Sysco, achieved a good result.