Free content

The votes have been counted and two of last week's deals go under the GC BondMarker microscope in this week's results: a three year floater from Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten (BNG) and a jumbo dual tranche from the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).

A European issuer scored the highest marks on GC BondMarker in the second quarter, with a snappily timed euro benchmark that came days after the French presidential election results were announced.

When it comes to Banking Union, national priorities always trump European ones.

As the mythical summer lull approaches the Asian market, bankers are naturally planning their getaways. But for a lucky few, workdays can often look like holidays in all but name.

On Wednesday, RBS announced it was settling one of its subprime RMBS lawsuits, for a chunky $5.5bn. The shares plunged to the depths of last Monday on the news, and the market mostly yawned — RBS had provisioned nearly everything, leaving only a £151m earnings charge for Q2.

China’s renminbi internationalisation (RMBi) strategy has seen a clear shift from pushing for the currency’s usage abroad to bringing investors into the onshore market. It is time to take a more nuanced view of renminbi internationalisation.

The European Central Bank's loose monetary policy was supposed to ease financing terms for smaller and riskier companies. The high yield bond market's appetite for such issues has been limited — but it is hotting up, just as the ECB signals tightening.

Mozambique’s debt crisis is the latest financial market hot potato to be passed around by its stakeholders with a series of statements that would not look out of place in an election campaign. But with the IMF in the country and Mozambique’s future ability to pay looking ever more likely, it is time to reach an agreement, restructure and move on.

China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (Safe) says the country will not devalue the renminbi, Hong Kong’s renminbi deposits fall in May, and China welcomes Japan to participate in One Belt One Road (OBOR).

If ever there was an example of how much timing matters in the bond market, it was the European Financial Stability Facility’s dual tranche trade this week.

The bank’s rejigged corporate and investment bank is its most determined effort yet to crack its global coverage effort, writes David Rothnie.

There is no better time than the summer to take a trip down memory lane and revisit old haunts in London, especially as it provides the perfect backdrop for catching up with friends over a few drinks.