French Sovereign

Unédic priced through fair value for its first bond of the year on Wednesday, as the European Central Bank’s announcement of fresh liquidity supercharged an already red hot euro SSA market. African Development Bank will hope to find similar success in the 10 year part of the curve after mandating banks for its first benchmark of the year.

Public sector borrowers in the euro SSA market received strong demand in both the short and long ends of the curve on Tuesday. KfW took advantage of the blistering conditions to sell its first euro benchmark with a three year maturity since 2015, while Société du Grand Paris (SGP) sold its biggest ever bond.

Société du Grand Paris (SGP) mandated banks on Monday for its second benchmark green bond, following its debut last October. Meanwhile, KfW hit screens for a long three year benchmark, the agency’s third benchmark in euros this year.

SNCF Réseau took advantage of a move in swap spreads and a favourable euro/dollar basis swap to sell its third dollar benchmark on Friday, ahead of what SSA bankers say will be a busy week of supply in the currency. Nordic agencies are among the issuers expected to be come to the dollar market next week.

This week's funding scorecard looks at the progress French agencies have made in their funding programmes so far this year.

Dollar SSA issuance is expected to pick up next week, thanks to a change in the euro/dollar basis swap that is making issuance in the currency more attractive for euro funders. There was still a smattering of dollar trades this week, including a Sofr-linked floater that broke new ground for the format.

The European Central Bank struck a decidedly dovish tone at its meeting on Thursday, meaning there were no nasty surprises for SSAs planning bond issues in the coming days. A French agency is on screens for a deal in dollars this Friday, while euro and dollar benchmarks are slated for next week.

The engine driving the SSA euro market has found a new gear as borrowers and investors turn their attention to the hitherto underserved long end of the curve. The overwhelming demand they received this week is likely to encourage more borrowers to follow.

Rating: Aa2/AA/AA

An SSA borrower smashed another set of records with a long dated bond on Tuesday. France’s hotly anticipated 30 year syndication did not disappoint, raising €7bn with its lowest yield ever at the maturity.

France has picked banks for a long 30 year euro benchmark, returning to the long end of the curve with a syndication for the first time since May 2017, as promised in late 2018.

The European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) became the latest issuers to enjoy a strong euro market this week, and there is more supply to come.