Mizuho

Mercedes-Benz Auto Finance has completed the tightest auto asset-backed securitization by any foreign originator in China in almost two years. The deal, which closed on Monday, was twice oversubscribed despite two underwriters dropping out of the syndicate at the eleventh hour.

The US corporate bond market continued at a strong pace this week, ignoring the lure of the beach that sees its European counterparts' new issue flow slow to a standstill in August. More than $22bn of bonds were sold in the first three days of the week and around half of that was raised by United Technologies Corp.

After a two year absence in the Panda bond market, Veolia Environnement made its return last week to raise Rmb1bn ($145.6m). Instead of placing another three year bond, the French corporate issuer cut the tenor to just one year — a move that paid off for the borrower, said bankers.

BMC Software was set to print $2bn of triple-C rated bonds this week, as it changes sponsor hands from Bain and Golden Gate to KKR. The new owner was also pushing for some of the loosest covenants in the market.

The Republic of the Philippines attracted more investor demand than expected on its return after eight years to the Japanese yen bond market. Its outstanding dollar bonds outperformed in secondary trading as the new deal was being marketed.

Shinhan Financial Group Co’s debut dollar Basel III additional tier one (AT1), priced on Tuesday, sparked a debate between Asian bankers, analysts and investors. The deal was rare, being issued through the bank’s holding company rather than using the opco structure which is much more common in Asia. That left many wondering what premium, if any, issuers must pay for holdco deals, writes Addison Gong.

Shinhan Financial Group Co on Tuesday issued its debut dollar Basel III additional tier one deal at the holding company level, becoming one of the very few Asian issuers to have done so. But bankers, analysts and investors were split on whether and how much the holdco premium was because of a lack of precedents in Asia.

The International Finance Corp drew one of the highest BondMarker scores of the year so far with its return to five year dollars after two years away. The trade came in a week of few, but very well received, deals, with the European Stability Mechanism scoring its highest average score of 2018 so far.

The funding for KKR’s acquisition of BMC Software is set to add almost $2bn of high yield bonds in euros and dollars this week, the last portion of a cross-border, multi-billion debt deal that has enlivened the leveraged finance markets.

The lending arm of Ford’s China operation took advantage of bullish sentiments in the onshore market on August 2, sealing a Rmb4.5bn ($662.3m) securitization. Bankers say Ford managed to price below Nissan, which offered a similar ABS recently, thanks to a major policy announcement that emerged last week.

Taiwanese electronic components distributor World Peace Group is back in the market for a NT$10bn ($327m)-equivalent dual-currency loan. Meanwhile, a Foxconn subsidiary is seeking to refinance an old deal.

Bank of China's Macau branch has raised a modest amount from a swift floating rate transaction to give investors comfort about the bond’s secondary performance.