Loans and High Yield

ESR Cayman, a Hong Kong-listed logistics real estate company, is tapping the offshore loan market for a debut $250m borrowing through Standard Chartered.

Bankers are confident that companies up and down the ratings scale can lean on their lending groups during market volatility. But borrowers in the most stretched groups are not waiting to find out, with some clients already drawing their lines, adding backup loans, and trying to negotiate waivers on debt limits. Silas Brown, Jon Hay and Owen Sanderson report.

Loans bankers are expecting their relationship clients to start leaning more heavily on their banks, but an arcane and little used clause found in many lending contracts means that banks might be able to demand early repayment or stop further lending.

The Markit iTraxx Crossover index, a barometer of non-investment grade credit, printed as wide as 575bp on Thursday, as credit markets weakened further, and trading desks were seen refusing to bid bonds and working orders only. Real prices were said to be two or three points below those on screens.

Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group’s $10.6bn purchase of Tesco’s Asia business has been hailed as a “landmark” deal that will liven up the region’s loan market. Bankers are now openly debating how they can get in on a financing that will tap both international and domestic liquidity. Pan Yue reports.

The coronavirus will depress mergers and acquisitions activity, hurt advisory revenues and change the emphasis of deal-making in 2020, writes David Rothnie.

Liquidity in corporate, financial and emerging market bonds has certainly been affected by the recent stress caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. But there has not been a catastrophic collapse. Participants say markets are still functioning, and some means of trading have benefited.

One of the internal candidates to become the next permanent head of European M&A at RBC Capital Markets has quit to join a boutique.

Italy’s capital markets bankers are keeping calm amid the coronavirus crisis, getting used to working from home, and trying to support clients as well as they can, while wishing for help from Europe and the European Central Bank. But they are not allowing themselves to hope the worst is over. The health crisis is acute and getting worse.

Companies in sectors under strain from the Covid-19 outbreak are expected to rely on bank funding if debt markets remain out of reach, using funds from as yet undrawn revolving credit facilities and signing new bridges to bond facilities or bilateral loans.

Investment banks are said to be freezing hiring plans in capital markets, as the impact of the coronavirus epidemic slashes new issuance volumes and expectations for the year ahead. Some institutions are also said to be using the virus as an excuse to push through planned cuts to banking businesses.

Months of bidding for UK retail giant Tesco’s Asia business has finally ended, with Charoen Pokphand Group emerging victorious. Three banks have provided financing to the Thai conglomerate to support the purchase.