HSBC

French investment company Wendel sold a €500m 12 year bond on Friday, having increased the deal in response to strong demand and favourable pricing.

Indonesian oil and gas company Pertamina, which is in the market for $1.8bn five year loan, has received $380m in commitments in general. Bankers on the deal said they expect to close soon with allocations likely to be out in the next couple of weeks.

The burst in activity in the Singapore bond market has continued this week, as property developer GuocoLand hit markets with the biggest trade so far this year. The company’s dual tranche offering brought in S$170 ($125m) along with hopes of more Singapore dollar issues to follow.

Philippine property developer Century Properties will meet investors next week ahead of a potential US dollar bond debut after mandating three banks.

Global bond new issue markets have had their slowest start to the year this decade, as anxiety about quantitative easing, interest rate movements and political events like the Greek election have kept issuers out of the market.

OVS, the Italian clothing retailer, has begun investor education for an IPO, which could involve about €350m of new shares being issued, as well as a smaller amount of secondary stock. They could add up to as much as 49% of the stock being listed.

Instituto de Crédito Oficial (Ico) has scored a hat trick with the first ever socially themed bond from a Spanish public sector borrower — printing the largest ever deal in the format, squeezing its spread over Spain to single figures, and welcoming new investors. That could encourage other issuers to add the social format to their funding mix, said bankers — although there were more reasons for Ico’s success than just altruistic investors, including the European Central Bank’s new quantitative easing programme.

Bond investors are hoping for a flood of US supply in the coming weeks as companies emerge from earnings blackout following a disappointing start to the year.

Adveo — Nidera — Stanbic Uganda

Syndication for Dutch grain trader Nidera’s $800m revolving credit facility will close on February 17, according to a banker on the deal.

Sino-Ocean Land Holdings has finally ended the drought of Chinese property bonds with a dual tranche five and 12 year offering on January 28. But despite the success of the deal, bankers are sceptical that a wave of developers will follow in its steps.

Working in banking can often feel like a prison sentence – long hours, cruel compliance officers and no time off for good behaviour.