NatWest Markets

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has funded itself at the cheapest ever level for any Canadian bank in the euro market. The issuer, which this week priced a five year €1bn covered bond, dispensed with setting guidance and went straight from initial price thoughts to the final spread.

US private equity firm Apax Partners has made a €730m buyout offer for Exact Holding, the Dutch accounting software company.

Chinese pork producer WH Group has had an eventful year. In July it finally managed a successful debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after two abortive attempts. Now it is back in the capital markets, with a $1.5bn refinancing for a controversial loan it raised last year for its acquisition of Smithfield. Fortunately for the borrower, the new deal looks like it will go without a hitch, writes Shruti Chaturvedi.

Unibail-Rodamco, the French property company, achieved tight pricing on its latest eight year euro issue thanks to strong demand from across continental Europe.

GM Financial, the finance arm of General Motors, finally emerged with its long-awaited euro debut issue on Wednesday.

Pork producer WH Group has signed a $1.5bn facility that will refinance the outstanding principal on a $4bn acquisition loan it took in 2013. The borrower has been forced to return to the loan market after it failed to raise enough during its IPO earlier this year.

Four issuers launched covered bonds from Germany, Sweden, Norway and Austria this week. The transactions were all well subscribed and priced tightly but the greatest degree of price tension was seen in deals that are expected to be eligible for the European Central Bank’s purchase programme.

Jez Walsh has left Royal Bank of Scotland where he had been in charge of covered bond syndication for 15 years. His departure follows a string of high profile exits from the bank’s covered bond team including Allen Rad, Christoph Anhamm, Sophie Kwon, Frank Will and Jason Wolfe.

HSBC picks capital financing heads - RBS lays out loans plan - CME Group plots expansion - Lloyds combines levfin

European credit markets had a nasty turn today, which salespeople and analysts blamed on news that Bill Gross, the so-called “Bond King’”, had decided to leave Pimco, the world’s biggest bond investor – though perhaps just because they wanted something to blame. Yet Babcock International, the UK engineering services group, still managed to issue a €550m bond – its first in the European market.

In a week with no senior or subordinated issuance in euros, RSA Insurance and Suncorp-Metway took centre stage with sterling prints. Both financials were able to get successful deals away despite struggling with turbulent markets, though they did catch some flak for issuing in volatile conditions.

Infra Foch, a new company formed to purchase French car park operator Vinci Park, has mandated banks for a European bond roadshow next week.