Italy

Banca Popolare di Milano, Kutxa and Swedbank Mortgage accessed the benchmark covered bond market this (Tuesday) morning to offer investors a medley of new euro issues after a day of preparation yesterday that one syndicate banker said was necessitated by limited liquidity in the market.

Swedbank Mortgage and Banca Popolare di Milano are lining up new issues that will probably be executed tomorrow (Tuesday), after syndicate bankers said the market opened strongly today.

Moody’s downgraded Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) from A1 to A2, on stable outlook, yesterday (Wednesday), because of sizeable challenges facing the Italian bank.

Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo relaunched issuance of covered bonds secured by residential mortgage backed securities when it yesterday (Wednesday) sold a Eu1bn five year issue that a syndicate official at one of the leads said successfully overcame reduced line availability for Italian debt and some resistance to the deal’s structure. Axa Bank Europe is expected to provide a second test of appetite for such product shortly.

Intesa Sanpaolo has opened books on its first mortgage covered bond, backed by self-originated residential mortgage backed securities, with what a syndicate official described as an “eye-catching” level. Meanwhile, Nordea is preparing a roadshow to introduce Finnish covered bond plans.

Two inaugural euro covered bonds backed by residential mortgage backed securities were this (Monday) being flagged for possible launch this week.

BNP Paribas Public Sector SCF launched a Eu1bn five year obligations foncières today (Wednesday) that is only the fourth French benchmark covered bond sold in six-and-a-half weeks, while yet another Italian is planning to tap the market and the UK’s Royal Bank of Scotland is lining up a 10 year Regulated Covered Bond.

Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen offered investors a rare opportunity to participate in a sizeable Pfandbrief transaction and gain exposure to its credit today (Tuesday), with a Eu750m four year issue duly snapped up by accounts in a market where jumbo Pfandbriefe have been few and far between.

The covered bond market is in good condition and generally open for issuance, syndicate bankers reported today (Monday), but with no new mandates publicly announced since last Thursday a deal from Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo was this morning the most concrete new issue project in the pipeline for the week.

Italy’s UBI Banca sold a Eu500m five year covered bond yesterday (Thursday) after coming up against reduced demand for obbligazioni bancarie garantite issues and for its credit following concentrated supply from the country, but nonetheless attracted quality orders, according to a syndicate banker at one of the leads.

Italy’s UBI Banca will today (Thursday) price a Eu500m five year issue on the back of modest demand, while DnB Nor Boligkreditt yesterday sold its first dollar benchmark covered bond and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce priced its first covered bond in the Kangaroo market.

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken will today (Wednesday) price a Eu1bn seven year issue at the tight end of revised guidance after meeting with strong demand for the first Swedish euro benchmark since June. Meanwhile, Italy’s UBI Banca is gauging interest for a new issue, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has opened books for an Australian dollar debut, and a mandate for a debut off an innovative programme has been added to the deal pipeline.