Morgan Stanley

Investment grade corporate bond issuance has slowed right down on Wednesday, as issuers and investors are getting cautious before the European Central Bank monetary policy meeting on Thursday.

Thai real estate owner and developer Asset World Corp has hit the market with a Bt41.7bn ($1.36bn) IPO, set to be the country’s largest listing by a private company, according to a term sheet seen by GlobalCapital Asia.

Chinese issuers Country Garden Holdings Co, Guangxi Communications Investment Group Corp and Shuifa Group, all of which have investment-grade ratings, have sold well-supported dollar bonds to investors.

The sustainability-linked bond issued by Enel on Thursday opens a new chapter in the green finance market. Anyone tempted to think this will be a freak should think again. The idea is sure to catch on.

The UK Debt Management (DMO) and European Investment Bank reopened a quiet sterling market on Tuesday with a pair of syndicated taps, which bankers feel will leave issuers and investors "confident" to follow.

KfW won huge praise from on-looking bankers for a curve extending and rare 10 year dollar green bond on Tuesday. The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and Österreichische Kontrollbank (OeKB) also enjoyed success in the dollar primary market with three year trades, with the former selling its debut Sofr-linked floating rate note.

Chinese real estate developer Longfor Group Holdings raised $850m from a 10 year bond on Monday, taking advantage of a recent ratings upgrade that led to a rally in its secondary price.

Corporate bond issuers made full use of the last few days before the European Central Bank's much-anticipated announcement on monetary policy on Thursday. Despite the hectic activity of the past two weeks, investors were still oversubscribing deals two or three times.

Two of the smaller airports in England are looking to raise US private placements, according to sources in the market, as players note that airports and port operators in Australia and Europe have carved out a particularly strong section of the market in the past 12 months.

Topsports International Holdings has kicked off pre-marketing for its Hong Kong SAR listing, which is expected to raise around $1bn, according to sources close to the deal.

Two new corporate bond issues hit the market on Friday, wrapping up the busiest week of the year, in which nearly €22bn of new notes have been printed. Despite the frantic activity, investors have been willing to lend, though companies may have had to pay larger new issue premiums.

A new sustainable finance product, which has the potential for huge growth, was launched on Thursday when Enel, the Italian electricity and gas company, issued the first bond in which the interest rate can be altered during the term of the debt, based on the borrower’s sustainability performance.