Europe

Ascential and Countryside Properties this week swelled the ranks of London’s declared IPO hopefuls, which already included CMC Markets and CYBG, as the UK ramps up to what is expected to be a busy IPO season.

Abengoa provided the first credit event auction of the year on Thursday and settled at a low price, after ISDA’s DC reached a split vote decision in December on the Spanish renewable energy company triggering a failure to pay trigger for 2014 credit default swap transactions.

Alvarez & Marsal, the restructuring firm that handled Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy, is set to deliver a scheme for Abengoa to avoid bankruptcy early next week. Bankers said the high yield market should cope whether the company survives or not.

Crédit Agricole and Intesa Sanpaolo required big premiums to reopen the euro and dollar additional tier one (AT1) markets this week, and bankers fear others will have to follow due to poor secondary liquidity in the product.

Macquarie Bank printed an eight year Swiss franc bond this week, mimicking an earlier effort from compatriot National Australia Bank.

It has been a big week for the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. The organisation moved to overhaul its credit determinations committee rules and broaden its board representation at the same time as undertaking a widely watched first credit event auction of the year and heading into new territory with a Novo Banco CDS external review.

Compagnie Générale de Géophysique, the French geological surveying company, has launched a three-for-one rights issue to raise €350m, as it struggles with its debt burden and oil companies cutting back on exploration.

CMC Markets, the financial spread betting firm founded by Peter Cruddas, has announced its long-expected intention to float in London.

Two sellers took advantage of a slightly upward trend in European markets on Wednesday to sell blocks of shares totalling €792m. Reassuringly to bankers, both deals got covered.

Covered bonds issued this week from Lloyds and Bank of Nova Scotia were among the largest seen this year and attracted the biggest order books.

Compagnie Générale de Géophysique, the French geological surveying company, has launched a three-for-one rights issue to raise €350m, as it struggles with its $2.5bn net debt burden as oil companies cut back on exploration.

Pohjola Bank