Natixis

French TV production group Banijay launched on Tuesday a $2.373bn-equivalent financing package, consisting of secured and unsecured bonds, a term loan and a revolver, to pay for its takeover of Endemol Shine, a Disney- and Apollo-backed Dutch production company.

Eni, the Italian oil and gas company, raised €1bn with a bond issue on Thursday, while Quadient, the unrated French postal systems company formerly known as Neopost, continued the run of more esoteric corporate bond issuance.

The overwhelming supply of international bonds from Asia continued on Tuesday, as issuers dashed to raise dollars, and in one case, sterling. But not every borrower was able to cross the finish line.

Italian construction giant Salini Impregilo offered to exchange its 3.75% notes, due in 2021, to new non-call life senior notes, maturing in seven years. The €250m deal is set to be completed by Friday this week with initial price thoughts of 3.875% — indicating that Salini may have lost favour among investors and will have to pay extra to extend maturities.

Rating: Aa1/AA+

The European Investment Bank and World Bank kept the strong momentum flowing in the euro public sector bond market on Thursday, hitting the sweet spot with 10 and seven year benchmarks, respectively.

Crédit Agricole Italia marketed a dual-tranche bond with eight year and 25 year maturities. A steeper curve helped the longer tranche offer a higher pickup against the shorter bond, but investors still placed hefty orders on both tenors.

Investors piled into the euro public sector bond market on Wednesday, allowing borrowers to achieve well subscribed order books and minimal new issue concessions for a range of maturities.

Issuers rushed to open the euro covered bond market this week. Trades from ABN Amro, Erste Group and LBBW showed that investors are ready to put cash to work, but higher new issue premiums suggested that issuers were taking a 'conservative' approach at the beginning of the year.

Angolan national oil company Sonangol will soon launch syndication for a loan that could be as large as $1bn, according to bankers, though most expect the African pipeline in the early year to remain muted.

Natixis has made two new hires for its Asia sponsor finance and mergers and acquisitions teams in Hong Kong.

TrailStone Group, the gas and power trader and investor based in London, has closed the year with a €150m revolving credit facility, which complies with the Green Loan Principles.