NatWest Markets

This week, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times – and despite volatility caused by the spread of the Covid-19, a trickle of MTN issuance has managed to slip through into the market.

The recent fall in the price of oil is having a knock-on effect on non-core currency issuance. While oil dependent markets could take a hit as their currencies weaken, some net importers could benefit from a stronger currency and safe haven flows.

Vattenfall, the Swedish state power company, issued its second green bond on Thursday, to an enthusiastic reception from investors, who drove the €500m note’s pricing very close to the issuer’s curve.

Transition bonds, one of the hottest talking points of the past year in the green bond market, made a decisive step forward this week when Cadent Gas, the UK’s largest gas distributor, issued a €500m deal that attracted large orders from environmentally concerned investors, even though some green bond funds shunned it. Jon Hay reports.

Optivo, the UK housing provider, has mandated banks for a long maturity sterling deal, a day after a compatriot housing association found healthy demand for a similar 23 year note in the currency.

Cadent Gas launched what by some counts is only the second transition bond on Wednesday and achieved a stellar reception in the market. The €500m no-grow bond was priced without a new issue concession and tightened sharply on the break, according to a banker on the deal.

Two German states rebooted the primary SSA market on Tuesday with intraday deals at the opposite ends of the euro curve. The five year deal was almost two times covered but there were no book updates for the 15 year.

Conditions are changing so fast with the coronavirus epidemic that each day could bring a change in sentiment, but for the time being leveraged finance is staying calm and continuing to function. There is more activity in this high risk corner of Europe’s capital markets than in any other, apart from sovereign, supranational and agency bonds.

Ascential, the UK media and events company, scaled back lenders after its £450m-equivalent bank line refinancing was oversubscribed.

The European Stability Mechanism has requested its primary dealers or ‘market group banks’ to set up entities within the 27 member states of the European Union in order for them to participate in bond auctions by the supranational and its sister issuer, the European Financial Stability Facility.

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Cadent Gas, the UK gas distribution network spun off by National Grid in 2017, will roadshow from Tuesday next week for a €500m transition bond. The deal is likely to delight green bond specialists who have championed the idea of transition bonds as a way to finance companies that are not green, but are moving towards lower carbon business models.