HSBC

The UK’s Future has agreed to buy US B2B publisher SmartBrief for up to $65m, with the specialist media group planning to draw down on its existing debt facilities to finance the acquisition.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) appointed banks on Monday to lead a five year sterling Climate Awareness Bond (CAB), in what will be the supranational’s first new socially responsible bond issue in the currency since 2014.

The World Bank placed its first Hong Kong dollar deal of its 2019/2020 funding year last week. The supranational chose to link the private placement to the Hibor benchmark, a now little seen structure that was likely the result of a "very specific enquiry", according to one MTN banker away from the deal.

Investors poured orders into the only new issue on Friday, despite a softer backdrop in the corporate bond market. Repsol, a Spanish energy company, was more than six times subscribed for its €750m eight year note.

Chinese provincial government-owned Shandong Hi-Speed Group Co has pushed out its maturity profile with a $1.4bn dual-tranche transaction. It priced the senior perpetual tranche at the same level as some of its bigger state-owned peers, thanks to a six times covered order book.

HSBC’s new global banking boss has quietly redesigned the division and fleshed out a cohesive corporate finance strategy that plays to its strengths, writes David Rothnie.

Investors have looked towards structured and long dated notes in their hunt for yield as the summer break creeps closer.

Rating: Baa3/BBB/BBB-

Indonesian state-owned energy company Pertamina proved to the dollar bond market that quality credits can win over investors during turbulent times, as it navigated secondary market volatility this week to rake in $1.5bn from a chunky $10bn book. Morgan Davis reports.

Indonesian energy company Pertamina snagged $1.5bn from a dual-tranche bond sale, shaking off concerns about the struggling bond market in the country and proving that quality credits can still get deals done.

Ford Automotive Finance sold a Rmb4.776bn ($694m) four-tranche auto loan ABS on Tuesday, its biggest ABS so far, pricing the three senior tranches at tight levels.

Chinese sportswear manufacturer Xtep International Holdings has returned to the loan market for a HK$1.6bn ($204m) refinancing deal that is open only to existing lenders.