France

The Région Ile-de-France printed a dual tranche green and sustainability bond on Monday, raising a combined €800m with 10 and 20 year notes, as the green debt market returns to prominence

Hopes that the recovery from the Covid-19 recession can be a green one have been widespread throughout the crisis, and no sector is more important to that aspiration than renewable energy. The industry as a whole has been well buffered from the downturn, but there are points of pain, and the post-pandemic market will be different.

French aerospace and defence company Safran has closed a large US private placement, according to market sources, of €566m-equivalent in euros and dollars.

Caisse Française de Financement Local lost €700m of orders after pricing a €1bn 10 year covered bond flat to OATs on Tuesday. Axa Bank SFH offered a generous new issue concession a day later on a €500m 15 year that came well inside the French government curve.

DZ Hyp managed to raise €1bn of eight year Pfandbrief funding flat to its curve on Wednesday. The deal contrasted with one from Axa Banque SFH, which paid a much larger premium for a €500m 15 year, possibly due to far higher French supply this year and confusion with Axa Banque Europe SCF, which has already entered the market four times this year.

Sovereign, supranational and agency bond issuers are mobilising their resources to support the fight against Covid-19. The below table details the bonds they have issued, specifically in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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, June 15. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services.

Caisse Francaise De Financement Local (Caffil) lost €700m of orders after deciding to price its €1bn 10 year covered bond flat to OATs on Tuesday. But in contrast Vseobecna uverova banka (VUB) was able to price comfortably inside fair value largely because its deal offered a substantial pick-up to other covered bonds.

La Mondiale took advantage of a sudden improvement in market conditions this week to strengthen its capital structure with the sale of a new tier two. The French insurer was able to launch its deal 5bp through fair value.

Crédit Agricole has mandated seven banks for its second outing in China's onshore renminbi market. The deal, again taking the form of a senior preferred bond, is expected to price next week.

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.

France and Denmark have increased the size of their annual funding programmes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with the former making the third upward revision to its borrowing needs in as many months.