JP Morgan

Syndicate bankers argue that financial institutions will need to pay a premium to access the bond market in the next couple of weeks, as investors fret about the potential impact of the outbreak of coronavirus in China.

Seen with cynical eyes, the launch of JP Morgan’s Development Finance Institution (DFI) is simply an attempt to expand its emerging markets footprint — already the largest in the business — by capitalising on two trends: the wave of cash fleeing low yields for EM, and the unassailable momentum of the socially responsible investment movement.

JP Morgan has created a Development Finance Institution (DFI), which will see its investment bank originate and distribute assets scored on their developmental impact. But specialists have questioned the bank’s ambitions and raised concerns about how this unit will operate.

Records tumbled in the US bond market this week, as Bank of America and Toronto Dominion set new pricing records.

Southeast European telecoms group United Group, a BC Partners and KKR portfolio company, is marketing an all-bond financing package for its takeover of Bulgaria’s Vivacom, marketing new senior secured bonds and an add-on to its existing 2025 PIK notes.

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena wrapped up its second deal of the month on Tuesday, capping off a busy period for Italian deal flow in advance of important regional elections.

Three CEEMEA sovereigns — the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Romania and Ukraine — joined a market this week gripped with a frenzy of new issues. All three deals went well and drew praise and attention in their own rights.

Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden (SBB), the Swedish social infrastructure and residential property investment company, launched a hybrid capital bond on Thursday, offering investors the chance to pick up junk rated paper from an investment grade issuer.

Ukraine printed its €1.25bn 10 year bond on Wednesday so far inside its own curve that its outstanding euro bonds moved 20bp tighter and its dollar bonds 10bp-15bp tighter. The deal drew a €7bn book.

There was a burst of activity from Chinese pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the equity capital markets this week, as the sector took centre stage following the spread of a flu-like virus that has already claimed lives on the mainland. Jonathan Breen reports.

Green bond volumes reached a record level in 2019 and market participants think the sector is poised for another blow-out year. Korea South-East Power Co (Kosep) and ReNew Power Private gave a further boost to Asia’s growing green bond market this week, selling $750m of notes between them. Morgan Davis reports.

Sino Biopharmaceutical issued a zero coupon convertible bond on Wednesday, boosting the size to €750m as demand poured in from across Asia, Europe and the US, according to multiple sources close to the deal.