Loans and High Yield

Package holiday group Thomas Cook said on Friday that it was discussing a deal with Chinese conglomerate Fosun Group, its largest shareholder, about a capital injection and a debt for equity swap.

Blue chip Hong Kong issuer New World Development Co has priced a 10 year bond worth $950m, after the leads decided to start bookbuilding at a generous level to build momentum.

If A1/A+ rated BASF was worried its credit rating would drop, S&P Global has given it some good news. On Thursday, the agency said it expected the chemical producer's Monday profit warning to have only a moderate impact on Its credit ratings. But a gloomy outlook still hangs over the chemicals sector, and companies in the low triple-B band may well have a tougher time in the bond market.

Debt investors are looking at the leveraged bid for German retailer Metro AG by two private investors with uncertainty. Many questions remain about the outcome of the proposed deal, including the fate of Metro’s existing debt.

The Bank of England said that the proportion of new highly leveraged loans would swell from 18% of the market to 28%, once add-backs and subsequent borrowing were included, taking overall leverage levels in the market above those prevailing in 2007.

Deutsche Bank’s strategic overhaul looks set to maintain the bank’s leading position in debt capital markets and leveraged finance. But it casts doubts over Deutsche’s ability to retain a top tier corporate finance franchise and could signal the slow death of its equity capital markets franchise, writes David Rothnie.

UBS’s decision to create a global team dedicated to private capital markets is symptomatic of a shift in how companies finance themselves and time their IPOs. With vast pools of private capital available, companies are going public later in their lifecycles, leading to stretched valuations and fewer listed companies. Aidan Gregory reports.

Chinese property developers have started opting for longer tenors on their dollar bonds, as investors eagerly take on duration risk. As the interest rate outlook becomes clearer, the trend is set to continue — but only for a select few. Addison Gong reports.

CVC Capital Partners’ sale of UK warranty provider Domestic & General explored public markets but found a better bid from another CVC fund teaming up with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The company announced on Wednesday that it would pay a final dividend to the old CVC fund, as part of an all-bond refinancing of its capital structure ahead of a transfer to the new owners.

UBS has created a new global team focused on private capital markets, giving it more exposure to a rapidly growing area of finance, as companies go public later in their life cycles and the amount of institutional and private money dedicated to private equity has grown and become more sophisticated.

The Netherlands is about to pass an act inspired by US bankruptcy rules or English schemes of arrangement, updating an insolvency code that has proved ineffective for dealing with companies with secured debt — and has seen companies like Nyrstar redomicile to the UK as part of their restructurings.

Europe's investment grade bond market has slowed from a sprint to a jog, and now to a walk. On Wednesday, Westlake Chemical Corp is the only issuer, taking the baton from the indefatigable Aroundtown, which had kept things going on Tuesday.