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Syndication of the acquisition financing loans for Lonza and Sibanye Gold is expected to begin soon, as loans bankers begin 2017 in an optimistic mood.

The European Investment Bank set a marker on Wednesday that sterling issuance could be just as hot this month as it was in January last year — as another pair of issuers hoped to add further evidence of that this week.

Bank of Cyprus announced a roadshow for its first new-style tier two bond on Wednesday, in a move that will shed light on the strength of risk appetite in the FIG market as investors take a close look at the rare borrower.

Royal Bank of Canada took advantage of deeper demand for fixed rate paper than floating in sterling covered bonds, issuing a five year trade on Wednesday. RBC has gathered more demand for its deal than Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, which issued a floating rate deal a day before.

DNB Boligkreditt got the Nordic covered bond market off to a blistering start on Wednesday with a €2bn five year deal that leads were able to tighten by 5bp from initial guidance.

Chinese sportswear manufacturer Xtep International Holdings has doubled the size of its latest borrowing to $200m after finding demand from a group of nine banks.

Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten (BNG) launched the first SSA benchmark of 2017 on Tuesday. While the agency raised €1bn, its success was muted in comparison with the way it opened 2016.

Robust demand is expected to result in an oversubscription for a dual currency financing to back Indian company Intas Pharmaceuticals’ acquisition of a portfolio of assets in the UK and Ireland.

Europe’s convertible market is no longer dripping with superlatives as 2017 begins — middling performance and mild outflows have taken out some of the heat. That may be a good thing, as investors may get more of the deals they like: for companies whose credit needs some looking at, but with interesting equity stories. Aidan Gregory and Jon Hay report.

CEEMEA borrowers had their busiest year since 2013 this year, issuing $157bn of international bonds which is just shy of double 2015’s volumes.

Heavy demand for a HK$2.8bn ($361m) loan for Permira's leveraged buyout of Tricor Holdings has led to a big scaleback in allocations to banks.

Shares in Greencore, the Anglo-Irish sandwich and convenience food producer, closed 3% higher on Wednesday after it completed its £439m rights issue to finance its acquisition of Peacock Foods, a US competitor.