Natixis

KfW and Dexia Crédit Local are first out the blocks in what looks set to be a busy euro market for public sector borrowers this week.

A $5.5bn senior secured loan to refinance China National Chemical Corp’s (ChemChina) outstanding debt has been launched into general syndication by 16 mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners.

Ireland is set to become the first SSA borrower of 2018 to print a syndicated bond, picking banks for a benchmark deal to be sold on Wednesday. The German state of Lower Saxony will also come to market on Wednesday.

Marguerite Bérard-Andrieu is leaving BPCE, having been chief executive for a year and a half. The bank's board has appointed François Riahi to replace her, from the new year.

Natixis is expanding its multi-boutique model M&A model to steal a march on its domestic rivals, writes David Rothnie.

Natixis has appointed Chaoni Huang as a director of green and sustainable solutions for Asia Pacific, according to a Monday press release.

Natixis has signed a five year strategic alliance with Oddo BHF, the Franco-German brokerage. They will combine their equity trading and capital markets businesses, in a move triggered by the arrival of MiFID II in January 2018.

Investor support for leveraged loan deals where the issuer is only seeking to cut margins remains so strong that some borrowers, such as French real estate group Foncia, may do it twice this year.

A trio of equity-linked issues this week was capped off on Thursday by a €100m convertible bond due in April 2023 from Pierre & Vacances, the French operator of tourist villages.

Inmobiliaria Colonial, the Spanish property company, has raised €416m to partly finance its bid for rival Axiare Patrimonio.

French toll road operator Holding d’Infrastructures de Transport paid a hefty premium last Friday as it sold a dual tranche bond to help refinance its March 2018 note. The Baa3 rated subsidiary of Spanish infrastructure company Abertis suffered from the uncertainty surrounding a takeover of its parent company.

Four new investment grade corporate bond issues in euros and one in sterling ensured European investors were much busier on Tuesday than they had been on Monday.