Loans and High Yield

Bank of America has set up an EMEA ESG strategic council chaired and led by three senior investment bankers, to intensify its effort to reduce its carbon footprint and manage its climate risks. BofA made a net zero commitment in February but has not yet set out its decarbonisation trajectory.

The UK has begun the process of creating its own versions of the European Union’s sustainable finance regulations, by picking a Green Technical Advisory Group to help it draft a green taxonomy. It will face two conflicting priorities: to maximise harmonisation by staying close to EU rules; and to depart from them, for a variety of reasons including the possibility of improving on the EU’s approach.

Two former investment managers at Aberdeen Standard have launched a firm called Bread Street Capital Partners, with the aim of creating a series of listed private markets funds to broaden access to the funds of top tier financial sponsors. The firm also aims to capture more investment from UK defined contribution pension schemes, which have historically had tiny allocations to private equity compared with some of their international peers.

Beauty company Coty took out more of its bank debt with a secured bond this week, increasing its deal size from €500m to €700m and pushing through the 4% yield barrier to land the new issue at 3.875%. The Caa1/B- rated company has struggled to turn its business around and still has negative free cash flow, but a new management team, a new plan and a senior spot in the capital structure helped enthuse investors to buy the new bonds.

Nursing home and elderly care company Colisée, which EQT Infrastructure acquired last year, was in the market on Thursday, looking to reprice the €875m acquisition facility and add-on a further €150m to pay down its revolver.

Chinese property company Evergrande Group’s dollar bonds have plummeted in the secondary market, following news that regulators are scrutinising the borrower. The effect has been far-reaching — dampening sentiment for other high yield real estate bonds and putting both investment bankers and investors on guard. Morgan Davis reports.

Hong Kong department store chain Lifestyle International Holdings returned to the debt market this week after a two-year break to raise $350m.

Moody’s has torn up one of the shibboleths of the Schuldschein market — that its borrowers are worthy of investment grade ratings. On Wednesday, the rating agency said a number of borrowers from the car parts sector were overleveraged and not profitable enough. Investors appear to share these worries, but the Schuldschein market offers them little protection and there is no reliable secondary market for them to sell into.

SSAB, the Swedish steelmaker whose blast furnaces account for 10% of Swedish and 7% of Finnish reported carbon emissions, has launched a sustainability-linked bond in Swedish kronor. It wants to cut its emissions 35% between 2018 and 2032 as part of a transition to fossil-free steel.

US-based battery maker Energizer launched a €650m eight year unsecured bond on Wednesday, intending to refinance its 2026 notes, cut interest costs and push out its maturities.

Kaisa Group Holdings battled a volatile market for Chinese high yield issuers on Tuesday when it kicked off a $280m tap, as news around banks’ exposure to peer property credits rattled investors.

Vietnamese education company Nguyen Hoang Group is making its offshore loan debut with a $62m deal.