Basis swap volatility following the US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep quantitative easing at its current pace failed to dampen demand for euro funders’ dollar commercial paper on Thursday, as a series of sovereigns, supranationals and agencies printed.

Canada could issue its first privately placed medium term notes in over a decade this year, EuroWeek can reveal, as the sovereign looks for alternative international funding tools.

The eurozone periphery’s two heavyweights had contrasting fortunes this week as talk grew of a 50 year privately placed euro medium term note and 30 year benchmark from Spain while Italy — whose 10 year yields rose above its peer’s for the first time in 18 months — suffered a price spike at auction.

Annemarie Ganatra has spent much of the last decade covering MTNs for HSBC across the globe. In that time, the market has changed dramatically as the financial crisis of 2008 killed off much of the demand for the more exotic structured trades. She spoke to EuroWeek’s Tessa Wilkie about the evolution of the business.

Italy found demand at the ultra-long part of the curve this week, with its second private placement of the year following rare appearances by other government-linked Italian issuers in the medium term note market over the past few weeks.

Finnfund sold its debut bond this week and could come back for more in 2014 after finding strong demand for its paper and credit story.

New opportunities for issuers of dollar callable zeros could open up in the coming months, with Taiwanese life insurance companies — the main buyer of the product — tipped to look overseas to combat low domestic interest rates.

Czech Export Bank, which priced a Kc1.8bn ($93.4m) private placement this week, is preparing to sell a floating rate note in euros next month, a treasury official has told EuroWeek.

Finland’s Municipality Finance is aiming to launch its first-ever three year fixed rate dollar benchmark amid the rush of issuance expected in September. Fellow Nordic agency Kommuninvest, which also has another dollar benchmark to come this year, plans to avoid the rush by waiting until October before bringing its deal.

Supranational and agency borrowers are queueing up to supply socially responsible investors with ethical products once bond markets reopen in the autumn, helping to push the asset class further into the mainstream. At least two SSA borrowers and possibly one corporate credit are eyeing debut socially responsible investment (SRI) deals for the final third of 2013, write Craig McGlashan and Nathan Collins.

Icelandic renewable-energy company Landsvirkjun sold its first bonds without a government guarantee this week and is keeping an eye out for further opportunities to build its unguaranteed presence.

Euro funding agencies found their sterling commercial paper in heavy demand this week, as a favourable euro/sterling basis swap helped the issuers print £2.7bn by 12pm London time on Thursday — adding to what has already been a record breaking year for public sector borrowers in the currency.