France

Banks are bounding back into the Kangaroo market. On Wednesday, BNP Paribas jumped in to sell the first syndicated Australian dollar senior non-preferred deal since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, later that day the Bank of Nova Scotia announced plans to join the fray with a mandate for a three year bail-inable deal.

France received its biggest ever order book as it came to the market for a 20 year syndication on Tuesday. SSA bankers say that investors are looking for duration after previously sticking to defensive maturities as the Covid-19 crisis eases.

Two more eurozone sovereigns are set for syndications on Wednesday, with France eyeing up 20 years and Iceland coming for a six year bond.

A pair of French banks visited the five year point of the Kangaroo curve on Tuesday. BPCE raised A$650m of senior preferred paper, while BNP Paribas mandated for a senior non-preferred deal.

This week's funding scorecard looks at the progress French agencies have made in their funding programmes as we approach the end of May.

Covered bond investors wasted little time in placing big orders on Tuesday for the largest ever green deal issued in Swedish kronor — a five year floating rate transaction secured on energy efficient mortgages from Sparebank 1 Boligkreditt (Spabol). At the same time, Credit Mutuel Arkéa issued a long 10 year with blow-out demand, reflecting a material concern that covered bond supply, net of central bank purchases and redemptions, will be deeply negative this year.

The New Development Bank is looking to take advantage of the strong demand in dollars by bringing its long-awaited inaugural trade in the currency as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel tested appetite on Tuesday for a 10 year non-preferred senior deal, with supply in the asset class having slowed to a near standstill during the coronavirus pandemic.

A series of comeback trades has established firm demand for every debt class in the bank bond market. With credit spreads moving another leg tighter this week, issuers must now consider whether they have a precious opportunity to wheel out their riskiest transactions with the coronavirus pandemic still threatening society and capital markets. Tyler Davies reports.

ABN Amro has ended a three week hiatus in the euro non-preferred senior market, launching a new deal on the back of a strong rally for bank credit spreads.

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, May 18. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services.

BPCE attracted more demand from more investors than any other French covered bond issued in at least eight years when it launched its first green covered bond on Tuesday. The outcome sent a strong signal to other borrowers seeking cost-effective, long term funding that central banks do not offer.