Germany

The covered bond market has experienced its busiest ever week with as many as 15 deals pricing, giving a grand total of about Eu19bn over the holiday shortened week.

The iTraxx senior financials is trading wider ahead of the release of the EC’s latest draft consultation paper, which is likely to confirm suspicions that an EU wide initiative on bank bail-ins is going to be hard-coded into regulation.

UniCredit sold a Eu1bn public sector Pfandbrief yesterday (Wednesday), which leads Commerzbank, Natixis, NordLB, RBS and UniCredit priced at mid-swaps flat, after going out with guidance of the 2bp over area.

Primary issuance continues to power ahead with five deals pricing yesterday and a further five deals expected to price this afternoon. Several more have been announced but, in a possible sign of things to come, two have been postponed and there is speculation that another is struggling.

After a very quiet December, market participants are not surprised to see a strong start to the primary market in the New Year, with one deal already priced and as many as seven others on the way.

Germany’s Münchener Hypothekenbank reopened the covered bond market on Monday, pricing a Eu1bn five year mortgage backed Pfandbrief at 10bp over mid swaps, the tight end of guidance, via leads Barclays, DZ Bank, LBBW, UniCredit and WGZ Bank.

Benchmark covered bond supply in 2011 is likely to be close to 2010 volumes, according to covered bond analysts, with no analysis forecasting more than a Eu20bn rise or fall relative to 2010 levels.

Martin Rohland is leaving Landesbank Baden-Württemberg to join Barclays Capital’s covered bond syndicate team, The Cover understands.

In brief: Fitch will no longer rate mortgage and public sector Pfandbriefe issued by Deutsche Genossenschafts-Hypothekenbank AG, according to a statement released yesterday (Monday). The bank’s covered bonds will therefore only be rated by Standard & Poor’s.

Pfandbriefe could stand to benefit from the introduction of a new resolution regime for German banks, according to market participants, given that the new regime provides for the possibility of a bail-in of senior unsecured creditors but upholds protections for Pfandbriefe set out in the country’s Pfandbrief law.

Finland’s Sampo Housing Loan Bank launched a Eu1bn five year benchmark on Thursday, its first covered bond since being acquired by Danske Bank in 2006 and the third Finnish euro issue to hit the market this month. Meanwhile Germany’s DVB Bank has sold its first publicly placed ship Pfandbrief and Dexia Municipal Agency is preparing to meet Australian investors.

Credit Suisse is today (Wednesday) making its debut as a standalone covered bond issuer and has attracted strong demand for a Eu1.25bn five year deal despite tight pricing and a challenging market backdrop. Germany’s DVB Bank is in the market with an inaugural ship Pfandbrief.