NatWest Markets

Europe’s corporate bond market delivered on bankers’ and investors’ hopes this week, as issuers belted out €13.2bn of deals, pushing this week — by a €20m margin — into the top 10 of the market’s busiest weeks ever.

UK building materials distributor Travis Perkins on Monday set the final yield at 4.375% on its debut £250m seven year bond, just as the sterling bond market braced itself for the impact of a potential Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum.

Total priced its biggest ever bond on Thursday, a €2.5bn dual tranche deal that included the French borrower’s first 15 year issue in euros since 2009.

Energias de Portugal, the Portuguese electricity and gas company, issued its largest public bond since March 2010 on Thursday, after attracting more than €2.7bn of demand from across Europe.

Pelindo III eyes maiden dollar bond — Indonesia's MPM seeks debut — Tata Comms looks to tackle dollar inaugural — FWD picks five for roadshows — IFC mandates three for dim sum — Honghua seeks international debut

Glencore, the Swiss-based commodities trading and mining group, successfully sold a €700m bond on Tuesday, as Europe’s corporate new issue market fell quiet after Monday’s €7.3bn fireworks.

Royal Bank of Scotland announced the new structure for its European debt capital markets business today, following a review since April by Richard Bartlett, its head.

Transurban Group, the Melbourne-based toll roads group, brought its European roadshow last week to fruition on Monday with a €600m bond issue that was a bigger blowout than it could have dreamt of.

The heavy flow of European corporate bond issues that bankers have been predicting for September began in earnest today, showing that the market’s strength has been no idle boast. Investors swallowed five roadshowed deals in euros and sterling and Vodafone launched a two tranche issue without warning. All were gobbled down with ease.

Nyrstar, the Belgian mining and metals business, could price €350m of senior unsecured bonds today or tomorrow, having originally planned to issue on Friday 5 September.

UK building materials distributor Travis Perkins today set the final yield at 4.375% on its debut £250m seven year bond, just as the sterling bond market braced itself for the impact of a potential Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum.

For the first time this year the supply of covered bonds issued in currencies other than the euro led primary flows. Issuers in Australia, Canada and Norway launched benchmarks in dollars and sterling leaving euro issuance trailing.