Europe
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The European securities regulator will start to probe sustainable finance, looking for risks including greenwashing and climate risks, and may use stress tests in some market segments. Green finance experts welcomed the new Strategy on Sustainable Finance put out by the European Securities and Markets Authority on Thursday as a step towards fully integrating environmental, social and governance issues into financial regulation. -
A trio of transactions issued this week by Santander UK and Nationwide Building Society have opened two new funding channels for UK issuers. The dollar covered bond market is now back as a strategic funding tool after a near 10 year absence and, for the first time, sterling seven year floating rate covered bonds are a viable funding option.
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A first sign of whether the UK will choose to diverge from EU financial regulation after Brexit could come when mandatory buy-in rules enter into force. This is because the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has proposed postponing the rules that govern what happens when a securities trade fails until February 2021, after the Brexit transition period ends.
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Five SSA issuers brought dollar deals to market this week, hitting screens in a variety of formats and tenors. With investors undeterred by volatile government bond yields, issuers made the most of excellent conditions to pull off impressive deals.
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Near-perfect market conditions could lure European banks back into the capital markets quickly this month, even though the sector has just come through its busiest January in close to a decade.
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Cracks started to appear in demand for long-dated rates products this week, even as riskier credit markets went gung-ho in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. Now Spain could be set to test how bad the damage has been, as it is rumoured to be readying a 30 year syndication for next week. Burhan Kahdbai, Lewis McLellan and Bill Thornhill report.
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Greek banks looking to bring new bonds will do well to follow Alpha Bank’s example, when on Thursday it sold its inaugural tier two bond. Backed by thorough investor work and supportive market conditions, the Greek lender’s new bond exceeded yield and demand expectations.
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The Schuldschein market is having a quiet, Germany-focused start to the year. But Schuldschein agents are confident investor demand remains as strong as ever.
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Caffil, Santander Consumer Finance and Hamburger Sparkasse enjoyed exceptionally strong receptions for what were tightly priced covered bonds issued this week.
