Goldman Sachs

Unédic came to the market for its third social bond on Thursday after making its debut in the format less than two months ago. The deal extends the French agency’s social curve out to 15 years and completes its €10bn explicitly guaranteed funding allowance for 2020.

France hit screens with a 15 year inflation-linked bond on Wednesday, raising €3bn with its first syndicated linker since 2018, capitalising on growing demand for inflation-linked products.

Sodexo, the French food service and facilities management firm, saw bumper demand for its €1bn no-grow dual-tranche bond issue on Wednesday, a day after it reported a 30% drop in revenue, and weeks after it shocked the US private placement (PP) market by saying it would repay around $1.6bn of debt early as it could do better in other financing markets.

Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co priced a $800m dual-tranche deal on Tuesday. While it initially wanted to sell just a floating rate note, it added a fixed rate portion too due to investor interest.

The European Financial Stability Facility kicked off its third quarter funding in style as it raised 80% of its borrowing needs for the quarter flat to its sister issuer’s curve. Elsewhere in the euro market on Tuesday, Cyprus saw decent demand as it tapped its 2024s and 2040s.

Investors piled into KfW’s first dollar benchmark in six months on Tuesday, allowing the issuer to break the order book record for SSA dollar benchmarks.

Conditions in the primary FIG bond market have improved of late, tempting European issuers to bring subordinated trades. Rabobank made an appearance this week, adding to a flurry of trades in the format.

Four banks are set to sign the mandate letter for a $210m loan to support private equity firm KKR’s acquisition of India’s JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals.

Cyprus will return to the market with a pair of taps on Tuesday, hitting screens alongside the European Financial Stability Facility’s new five year line, providing an excellent opportunity to compare Cyprus’s cost of funds with the cost of the European Stability Mechanism’s pandemic crisis support facility.

KfW mandated banks on Monday for a highly anticipated return to the dollar market following its previous benchmark in the currency back in January. The German agency will be joined in dollars by the Asian Development Bank, which is preparing a three year trade.

Mainland-based firms OcuMension Therapeutics and Immunotech Biopharm sealed their Hong Kong IPOs at the top of guidance, riding on support from both institutional and retail investors.

The huge demand seen for ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s buyout financing, the largest bridge loan left on banks’ books through the Covid-19 crisis, should reassure credit committees and capital markets operators that the LBO market is wide open again, for the right business. Owen Sanderson reports.