Germany

Three issuers this (Monday) morning launched or tapped benchmark covered bonds in a market buoyed by an agreement over the weekend on terms of an emergency loans package for Greece. Meanwhile, Dexia Municipal Agency has mandated for a deal that could be launched tomorrow (Tuesday).

Standard & Poor’s has affirmed its ratings of covered bonds issued by Deutsche Genossenschafts-Hypothekenbank and Finland's OP Mortgage Bank at AAA under its revised methodology.

A draft amendment to Germany’s covered bond legislation that was passed by the government last Wednesday has been welcomed by market participants because it clarifies the legal status of the cover pool and its administrator, thereby mitigating refinancing risks.

The German government yesterday (Wednesday) approved a draft amendment of the country’s Pfandbrief legislation that is due to come into effect at the end of October.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria is today (Wednesday) in the covered bond market with the week’s ninth deal, after Deutsche Postbank earlier today priced a Eu1bn 10 year Pfandbrief that took supply of Eu500m-plus issues to Eu5.2bn over the first three days of the week. Meanwhile, Portugal’s Banco Santander Totta has announced plans to tap the market.

Standard & Poor’s yesterday (Tuesday) affirmed the AAA ratings of public sector covered bonds issued by Westdeutsche Immobilienbank and of mortgage covered bonds issued by Deutsche Postbank. WestImmo’s Pfandbriefe are on negative outlook as their rating benefits from the highest possible uplift from the issuer rating.

Banco Popular Español, OTP Mortgage Bank, Swedish Covered Bond Corp, and Westdeutsche Immobilienbank are all in the market today (Tuesday) with covered bonds. Syndicate officials said that the market was receptive, although only one issue has had pricing at the tight end of guidance confirmed.

Standard & Poor’s has affirmed the AAA ratings of public sector covered bonds issued by Eurohypo and DZ Bank under its revised rating criteria. Eurohypo’s Pfandbriefe are on negative outlook.

Berlin-Hannoversche Hypothekenbank will today (Wednesday) price a Eu600m six year Pfandbrief at the tight end of guidance. It takes past Eu6bn the amount of Eu500m-plus issues to have hit the market this week, coming after benchmarks for issuers such as ING Bank and Crédit Agricole.

Moody’s has downgraded Sparkasse KölnBonn from Aa2 to A1, on stable outlook, as a result of the bank’s high risk profile and relatively low capital adequacy.

Standard & Poor’s has affirmed Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen’s public sector covered bonds at AAA under its new rating methodology, and withdrawn its AAA, watch negative, rating of Standard Life Bank’s programme following a redemption of the issuer’s last outstanding series.

Standard & Poor’s has affirmed UniCredit Bank’s public sector covered bonds at AAA and assigned the rating a stable outlook under its revised methodology.