Natixis

Crédit Agricole raised €3.25bn as it issued the biggest euro covered bond benchmark since 2007 on Wednesday, achieving a competitive cost of term funding at historically cheap rates.

GlobalCapital announces the results of its Equity Capital Markets Awards for 2015, following our inaugural ECM Awards Dinner, in London on March 16.

Natixis might not be making a big splash, but its corporate finance acquisitions show it has serious aspirations, writes David Rothnie.

China’s reported intention to introduce a Tobin tax on foreign exchange transactions has provoked a somewhat typical rush of condemnation. However, some analysts are already pointing out that pros and cons might indeed balance each other out.

Corporate bond markets snapped into bullish mode on Friday as the effect of Mario Draghi’s renewed monetary stimulus kicked spread tightening into full throttle.

This week started with a host of FIG trades, including a holdco blowout from HSBC in euros, and, while supply slowed around the European Central Bank’s meeting, issuance is expected to return with a bang next week after the ECB announced a new stimulus package on Thursday.

After a string of strong syndications and auctions from the eurozone periphery during the last seven days, issuers from the region could be set to enjoy even lower yields thanks to the latest monetary stimulus package from the European Central Bank.

After over a month with no Obligations Foncières supply, Caisse Française de Financement Local (Caffil) and Compagnie de Financement Foncier (CFF) returned to the primary covered bond market on Monday.

Rating: Aa3/A/A+

The State of North Rhine-Westphalia more than doubled the record size for a green bond from a European sub-sovereign, pricing a deal several basis points inside initial price thoughts on Wednesday.

Issuers lined up to print in euros on Tuesday as a vital European Central Bank meeting loomed later in the week — but bankers were divided as to how much the flurry of deals was down to concerns over the central bank meeting.

The FIG senior unsecured market welcomed lower beta trades from DVB Bank and Dexia Crédit Local on Tuesday, as bankers started to turn their attention to Thursday’s European Central Bank meeting.