Nordea Markets

A number of untested European companies have made their entrance to the international high yield bond market in the past two weeks as central banks fuel conditions that pamper repeat and new issuers alike, while driving investors into ever riskier assets in a hunt for yield. Karoliina Liimatainen reports.

Finland’s Terveystalo has refinanced its bank debt, with the healthcare provider becoming the latest corporate to switch its credit facility to be linked to sustainability metrics.

Swedish heating and ventilation service provider Assemblin is braving the euro-denominated high yield market for the first time with €250m bond issue, used for refinancing and dividends. Exceptionally favourable conditions lured Triton-backed Assemblin to try its hand with international investors.

Guarantor: Swedish local government members

Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten and Kommuninvest followed in the footsteps of KfW as they included their environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings in the terms sheets for socially responsible bonds this week, with the latter selling the largest single-issue green bond from a Nordic public sector borrower.

La Banque Postale has suggested that issuers of additional tier one (AT1) capital should drop the tradition of making large pricing steps in the euro market, after setting a very low coupon for its debut in the asset class this week.

Two SSA borrowers have will follow KommuneKredit's lead by issuing green bonds on Wednesday after the Danish agency announced and priced a deal on Tuesday.

Denmark’s Bavarian Nordic will buy two commercial vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline for €796m, in a debt funded acquisition that will be refinanced next year in the equity market.

Finland’s Mesto has signed €800m of revolving credit facility, as the industrial machinery company builds up its cash war chest in preparation for its partial demerger.

Teekay Shuttle Tankers has mandated a $150m “green bond” to fund new oil tankers built to the firm’s “e-shuttle” standards. The deal raises questions about the logic of using green-branded debt instruments to fund fossil fuel extraction.

Scatec Solar, a Norwegian solar power generator, raised Nkr1.3bn (€132m) of growth capital in a share sale on Tuesday evening amid rising investor demand for renewable energy assets in Europe.

Sparebank 1 Østlandet priced €500m of debt in senior preferred format at a spread of 67bp over mid-swaps this week — 8bp tighter than the initial price talk. The issuer is not a frequent visitor to the primary market, so it had to pay a higher premium than other borrowers, according to a banker away from the deal.