Intesa Sanpaolo

Sociedade Nacional De Combustíveis De Angola (Sonangol) has completed a lengthy loan syndication for a $1bn five year loan, with Chinese banks taking big tickets, according to a banker on the deal.

An investor reappraisal of additional tier one paper left the asset class trading at unprecedented lows on Monday, forcing Deutsche Bank to reassure the market of its ability to pay its coupons.

Last year the Markit iBoxx Euro Banks index was one of the outperforming bond sectors in Europe having returned 1%. The index, which is largely made up of bonds issued by European banks, even managed to outperform defensive sectors such as healthcare and utilities, while Europe’s regulatory oversight and relaxed monetary conditions kept market confidence in check.

The economies of Italy and China do not appear to have much in common. Italy’s government would welcome a GDP growth rate of 1%, while China expands at less than 7% and investors take flight. One is a sclerotic, decaying Western country, the other is a dynamic Asian tiger. Such is the conventional wisdom.

The Italian subordinated debt market has come under further pressure this week, with spreads shooting wider amid renewed concerns about banks’ high levels of non-performing loans.

Several major Italian ECM deals are set to move forward in the next few weeks. Saipem, the oilfield services company, will open subscription for its €3.5bn rights issue on Monday January 25. And Veneto Banca is set to announce in the next couple of weeks more detail of its €1bn capital increase and flotation, to be completed in April.

Crédit Agricole and Intesa Sanpaolo required big premiums to reopen the euro and dollar additional tier one (AT1) markets this week, and bankers fear others will have to follow due to poor secondary liquidity in the product.

Intesa Sanpaolo

Additional tier one paper (AT1) from Intesa Sanpaolo and Crédit Agricole was holding firm in secondary on Thursday, despite global equities flashing red again, and bankers feel a lack of fast money is helping the asset class.

Swedish telecommunications company Tele2 has retained all of the original lenders as it refinances a €800m revolving credit facility.

Financial institutions have taken an early plunge into additional tier one bonds this week, as European and US investors show willing to take on risk and put cash to work.

Intesa Sanpaolo opened the 2016 additional tier one (AT1) market on Tuesday with its euro debut, and is now over halfway to its 2017 issuance target.