Europe

The world is facing an unprecedented crisis, the economic effects of which we are only beginning to understand. Sovereign funding will be at the heart of the effort to mitigate those effects. GlobalCapital hosted a virtual roundtable in May to discuss the effects that the pandemic is having on sovereigns’ borrowing requirements and market access, and how they are handling the situation.

In mid-May GlobalCapital hosted a specially convened panel of investment bankers, investors and a market infrastructure provider to discuss how capital markets have reacted to the coronavirus crisis and how they might play a role in the recovery of the global economy. The discussion, which took place remotely over Zoom, was the opening panel discussion of the Global Borrowers & Investors Forum, which this year is being brought to you in virtual form via a special digital publication on our website.

Generals, and financial regulators, are always fighting the last war. So it proved when the coronavirus slammed into international markets in mid-March. Many of the tools developed in the 2008 financial crisis were deployed to great effect by central banks. The corners of the financial markets that propagated weakness in 2008 passed the test of 2020. But new risks were thrown up, forcing a new round of improvisation. What lessons will be drawn from the Covid-19 crisis?

Policymakers have responded with impressive speed and purpose to ensure that a global health crisis does not turn into a global financial crisis. But what happens now that their cards have been played, and is there a plan for what to do once the great lockdown is lifted?

Jorge Masalles Sarragúa has become chief executive of Commerzbank Iberia, as the previous occupant heads to perform the same function for Hungary.

The Flemish Community has mandated banks to arrange the sale of new seven and 30 year bonds as the Belgian sub-sovereign looks to pump in cash to finance a budget deficit which has arisen from the coronavirus pandemic.

The New Development Bank and Kommuninvest began marketing new dollar benchmarks in the short end of the curve on Monday, with the former set to issue its long-awaited debut deal in the currency to support its member countries from the coronavirus pandemic.

BBVA is expected to take advantage of recent changes to Pillar 2 requirements with a greater proportion of senior preferred issuance but it has a modest need for subordinated issuance. The Spanish national champion also plans to make use of its Targeted Longer-Term Refinancing Operation (TLTRO) allotment from the ECB, which has been substantially increased.

Caisse Francaise De Financement Local (Caffil) has mandated lead managers for its third covered bond this year and plans to open order books for a euro denominated 10 year transaction, the third from a French issuer since May.

Slovakia's Vseobecna uverova banka (VUB) will offer covered bond investors a rare chance to buy bonds with a considerable pick-up to core European deals, having mandated leads for a €500m five year deal rated Aa2 that is expected to be launched on Tuesday, subject to market conditions which have recently deteriorated.

BPER Banca said on Monday that it would buy more loans and branches than expected as part of its involvement in a potential tie-up between Intesa Sanpaolo and UBI Banca. The merger process hit a snag last week, but market participants hope that a deal can still be agreed.

Despite a staggering drop in emerging market syndicated lending during the coronavirus pandemic, Russian borrowers are not letting wider margins put them off. With a number of deals in the pipeline, the market is uncharacteristically raring to go.