France

Consumer goods company Unilever priced a €1.2bn dual tranche bond on Wednesday that came partially inside the French government curve, as investors scrabble for perceived haven assets amid sharply deteriorating market sentiment.

French bottle maker Verallia served on Wednesday an updated version of the offering it had to pull in October, when its shareholder Apollo disagreed over the terms with investors. The deal is now smaller, and the issuer less leveraged.

The rise of populism in Europe has claimed its first capital markets victims. Brace yourself for more.

Two public sector borrowers had very contrasting fortunes with no-grow three year dollar bond issues on a volatile Tuesday.

Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has pulled a three year dollar deal that was expected to be priced today.

French banks are expected to look closely at opportunities for issuance in the coming month, senior non-preferred bonds have started widening on the back of fresh election jitters in Europe, and opportunities could be limited as the French vote draws nearer.

The public sector dollar market looks set to pick up the pace of a record breaking January after last week’s slowdown in issuance, with two borrowers on screen for Tuesday business at press time on Monday and more issuance expected later in the week.

Crédit Agricole tapped its 20 year covered bond on Monday at a spread that was almost twice as tight compared to OATs as the original issue. The success of the tap shows that the German insurance firms that bought the increase are focused on other metrics than the cost compared to government bonds.

The Conservative UK government may be undermining London’s status as Europe’s pre-eminent financial hub with its seeming determination for a clean/hard/sharp/solid Brexit, but potentially more momentous events across the Channel could soon see financiers flocking in the other direction.

The race for the French presidency has put pressure on the country’s government bonds (OATs), prompting price moves which could have far-reaching consequences for both covered bond issuers and public sector borrowers. Lewis McLellan reports.

The Green Bond Principles could be adapted to include clarification on the types of assets eligible for financing from the market, according to a sustainability consultant at Vigeo Eiris. The topic has grown in importance after France’s debut sovereign green bond last week included intangible assets among its use of proceeds.

Many market commentators have commented that 2017 will be the year of political risk. Uncertainty around Brexit, Donald Trump’s inaugural year as US president and a series of elections in continental Europe make conditions ripe for bouts of volatility.