Free content

When the European Commission excluded 10 of its primary dealers from its debut Next Generation EU syndicated transaction last week on the grounds that they had been found to have violated anti-trust rules, some bankers branded it “unfair”. It may be a harsh penalty, but surely bookrunners should face the same scrutiny as issuers when it comes to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

The recent round of M&A and leveraged buyout financing provided by Chinese banks shows their growing ambition in the more complicated and riskier part of Asia’s loan market.

In this round-up, the Chinese central bank leaves the benchmark lending rate stable for the 14th consecutive month in June, and the interbank bond regulator issues a warning to an onshore bank and accuses another of allegedly breaking underwriting rules.

You’d have to have been living in a cave — or perhaps an unfashionable coal mine — not to have noticed that sustainable finance is booming. But you might be forgiven for not picking up on the major shifts that have been taking place in the discipline in recent years.

There were likely some well earned fist bumps and high fives going on in Brussels this week after the EU inaugurated its Next Generation funding programme with a triumphant €20bn outing. But things won’t always be so smooth for the issuer.

We always hope to influence our children for the best, but it’s amazing what they pick up.

GlobalCapital reveals today the winners of its Bond Awards 2021, including celebration of the achievement of top corporate banks and issuers — and Lifetime Achievement Awards for two of Europe’s most prominent corporate funding officials.

GlobalCapital is delighted to reveal this year’s winners of its Financial Institution Bond Awards, which celebrate the top issuers, arrangers, bankers and service providers in the capital markets.

The immediate need for corporates in Europe during the Covid-19 crisis was to quickly tap liquidity but after debt capital markets re-opened, thoughts turned to future-proofing business models, balance sheets and funding strategies. BNP Paribas was perfectly placed to have those discussions with clients with an integrated coverage model that provided neutral capital structure advice.

Sustainability became the defining feature of late 2020 and 2021 capital markets, with ever more issuers and investors in more asset classes using more products than ever before. BNP Paribas has led the development of the market from sovereign green bonds to social and sustainability linked finance.

The corporate hybrid market is on a tear, with post-Covid issuance in 2020 of €46.7bn, almost as much as in the two previous years combined, and volume for 2021 already reaching €19.8bn by mid-May. Citi has been on the top-line of 60% of the corporate hybrids issued since the start of the pandemic, leading €38.6bn out of a total €66bn, and on 38 tranches out of 75 issued.

The unstoppable rise of sustainability-linked finance was arguably the most important trend in the bond market over the last year as it opened the door to socially responsible investment products for a swathe of issuers unable, for one reason or another, to issue green bonds.