Europe

The European Stability Mechanism stands ready to lend eurozone countries up to 2% of their GDP at negative rates — but in spite of the clear cost savings compared to market funding, countries have yet to take up the offer. It is time to rid ESM lending of its stigma.

The UK government looks ever more likely to create a new public sector bank focused on green infrastructure. Policy experts welcome the prospect, but there would be many choices to make over the structure and financing of the organisation.

Despite the success of many emerging market sovereigns in issuing bonds in international markets this year, Turkey, typically a leading issuer, has been notable by its absence. And with its foreign exchange reserves running lower, the risks of it not being able to come to market at all could be mounting.

KfW tapped an October 2034 line on Tuesday, enjoying impressive demand for the €1bn trade thanks, in part, to the strong performance of the Bund curve sending investors hunting for yield.

Frankfurt Trade Fair, the events organiser and world’s largest trade fair, is looking to issue Schuldscheine, according to market sources, for the first time in its 800 year history. The events industry has suffered through the pandemic, as organisers have had to postpone or cancel conferences, or reproduce them digitally, as a result of lockdowns.

STMicroelectronics, the French-Italian semiconductor maker, has raised $1.5bn through the sale of new convertible bonds, the company said on Tuesday.

Trading levels given are bid-side spreads versus mid-swaps and/or an underlying benchmark and bid-yields from the close of business on Monday, July 27. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services.

The outlook for covered bond spreads has become less clear cut following last week’s historic agreement on the EU’s coronavirus recovery fund, according to analysts. But bank traders believe the market is well protected and think that the biggest risk to spreads is if there is a broader credit and equity market sell-off.

The European Central Bank recommended this week that banks do not pay dividends or buy back shares until the start of 2021 at the earliest. It is also calling for 'extreme moderation' over banker bonuses during the coronavirus pandemic.

Equity bankers have expressed fear that issuing IPOs this autumn is set to be far harder than expected, with Covd-19 showing little sign of abating and a second wave feared in the colder months.

The European Central Bank said on Tuesday that it would not be pushing banks to meet their Pillar 2 guidance or their combined buffer requirements until at least the end of 2022, as part of its efforts to encourage more lending to the real economy.

At a consultation on Monday, Gilt-Edged Market Makers and investors were divided on the UK’s proposal for a new 15 year Gilt to be sold through syndication in September.