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Deutsche Bank’s recently announced policy on returning to the New York office in September fits what many bankers have been expecting for months and heralds a return to normality. But for a small subset of bankers who left offices in London for lockdown in March 2020, the end of restrictions will also mean a change of circumstances — and getting used to living in a new country.

After a year-long frenzy, the primary market for US convertible bonds has cooled, following a rotation out of technology stocks and jitters over rising yields on government bonds. An injection of realism is no bad thing, however, and should be welcomed in a market that has almost doubled in size within the space of a year.

Over the last year or so, my furry companion has become my co-worker, supervisor and live-in best friend. But he still doesn't have security clearance.

GlobalCapital wants to know what you think about working life in the capital markets as a result of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

While strong issuance so far this year has given rise to expectations that the European securitization market’s recovery could accelerate in the second half, 2021 is not just a rebound story. Investor demand and regulatory change are also driving new developments and innovations, say BNY Mellon’s Paul Crossley, senior business development, principal, EMEA, and Michela Sperandio, head of business development, Italy.

GlobalCapital is delighted to reveal the winners of its 2021 European Securitization Awards, where we seek to recognise the most notable and innovative deals, banks and market participants of 2020.

The environmental, social and governance area of finance has been one of the hottest this year, with sustainability branding stuck on every financial product imaginable, from commercial paper to subscription lines, leveraged loans and bank capital.

Secondary trading of ABS enjoyed a boom in 2020. For trading desks, that required a need to step up and provide liquidity for clients trying to manage portfolios during difficult markets. BNP Paribas did this demonstrating its commitment to the market as it continued to grow its business to match its leading position in the primary securitized products market. For the second year running BNP Paribas is our Secondary ABS/RMBS Trading House of the Year.

Financial services boutique ISP Group launched its debut European CLO Opportunity Fund during the early spring market turmoil last year. Since then the Ardesia fund has proven its flexibility, recycling risk as the markets moved through panic, recovery and stability modes to deliver a 40%-plus return.

Santander Consumer Bank AG is a relative veteran as an issuer in the securitization market but it is still pushing boundaries. With securitization a central part of its funding – and capital management – plans, a focus on the product across the firm and an experienced team, the bank delivered our ABS Issue of the Year, the largest cash risk transfer deal in the public market, and also wins our ABS Issuer of the Year accolade.

The Covid-19 pandemic presented a raft of new challenges for rating securitizations, as issuers, investors and servicers struggled to understand not just how underlying asset classes would cope but the short- and longer-term implications on cashflows as well as credit risk. Moody’s used the breadth and depth of its global franchise to provide consistent guidance and found new ways to reach out to the market and is our Securitization Rating Agency of the Year 2021.

When a crisis hits, it’s often the equity tranches that feel the brunt but the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 ultimately created opportunities for some investors in the space. M&G, with its strong reputation among counterparties and ability to invest across the full range of assets, overcame the challenges and is our Securitization Equity Investor of the Year.