Italy

Banca Monte Dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) achieved a strong result for its first Obbligazioni Bancarie Garantite (OBG) since 2015, sending a strong signal to investors, and particularly those of its struggling subordinated bonds.

Banca Carige is set to raise €2bn of new funding through the sale of two government-backed senior bonds, after the Italian finance ministry gave it the go-ahead this week.

Dollar SSA issuance picked up in earnest this week after a slower than usual start to the year, with a rich variety of borrowers printing deals, some in record size or with record books. Conditions are such that SSA bankers are confident supply will keep coming and demand stay high for the next few weeks — cheering news for one sovereign issuer looking to make a comeback in the currency.

Mere mention of the words non-performing and loans together has the power to make markets quake, regardless of whether the details are good, bad or neutral.

Rating: Baa3/BBB/BBB

High grade bond markets have made a flying start to the year, defying the expectations of a bear market in fixed income following the end of the European Central Bank’s asset purchase programme and tightening of monetary policy in the US. Instead of the expected cautious tone, investors have been fuelling record order books, big deals and strong performance in the secondary markets, write Burhan Khadbai and Nigel Owen.

Never mind the fact that Italian banks are unable to fund themselves economically. If a few can demonstrate access to the Obbligazioni Bancarie Garantite market, the European Central Bank’s impending third targeted long term refinancing operation (TLTRO) might look less like a bailout.

Italy and the European Investment received combined orders of over €50bn in the euro public sector market on Tuesday before what could be an even more uncertain period in Europe, with the UK parliament set to vote on prime minister Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement later in the evening.

Italy hit screens for a 15 year euro benchmark on Monday, in what will be the sovereign’s first syndication for a new issue since agreeing its 2019 budget with the European Commission at the end of last year. Elsewhere in the eurozone periphery, Greece is looking to return to the bond market with a euro syndication in the five year part of the curve, according to bankers.

On Friday, American data centre owner Digital Realty sold the first green corporate bond in euros of 2019, but investors did not have long to wait for the second one as Italian energy company Enel also chose to issue in the format.

Italy is planning to bring a euro syndication in the 15 year part of the curve later this month, according to market participants.

Credito Emiliano this week issued the first Obbligazioni Bancarie Garantite of the year, sending a strong signal to issuers struggling to fund in the senior market. The Italian bank followed Deutsche Bank SA which issued the first Spanish deal of 2019.