Nordics

Spread guidance on new issues launched this (Wednesday) morning was wider than levels heard yesterday, but with re-offers ultimately fixed at the tight end of guidance, syndicate bankers were speaking of a good day for covered bonds. Meanwhile, Spanish supply emerged in the form of two taps.

Standard & Poor’s has affirmed its ratings of covered bonds issued by Deutsche Genossenschafts-Hypothekenbank and Finland's OP Mortgage Bank at AAA under its revised methodology.

Stadshypotek and Société Générale today (Tuesday) announced mandates for benchmark covered bonds that market participants said are likely to be launched tomorrow (Wednesday). At least one other issuer is said to be planning to access the market, despite a short working week and reduced investor availability due to the Easter holidays.

Sweden’s covered bond issuers have agreed on a single calculation and presentation of loan-to-value ratios for mortgage cover assets to enhance the transparency and comparability of their cover pools.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria is today (Wednesday) in the covered bond market with the week’s ninth deal, after Deutsche Postbank earlier today priced a Eu1bn 10 year Pfandbrief that took supply of Eu500m-plus issues to Eu5.2bn over the first three days of the week. Meanwhile, Portugal’s Banco Santander Totta has announced plans to tap the market.

Banco Popular Español, OTP Mortgage Bank, Swedish Covered Bond Corp, and Westdeutsche Immobilienbank are all in the market today (Tuesday) with covered bonds. Syndicate officials said that the market was receptive, although only one issue has had pricing at the tight end of guidance confirmed.

La Caixa and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria this (Monday) morning accessed the covered bond market after Santander reopened the cédulas sector last Thursday, with market participants cautiously constructive about the prospects for yet more Spanish issuance. Meanwhile, Swedish Covered Bond Corp has announced plans to tap the market.

Länsförsäkringar Hypotek fulfilled a long-established ambition of diversifying its funding sources by yesterday (Tuesday) launching an inaugural, Eu1bn five year euro covered bond, the issuer told The Cover.

Strong demand for a Eu1bn seven year covered bond for Swedbank Mortgage priced yesterday (Monday) reflected growing investor confidence in Swedbank’s efforts to improve its credit story, the issuer told The Cover.

All four institutions that had indicated that they would come to market this week opened their order books today (Tuesday), but had little trouble achieving price and size targets in the middle of or better than those being aimed for.

Nykredit is today (Tuesday) nine days into an auction of Danish covered bonds and mortgage bonds that lasts until Thursday and is intended to reduce the volume of bonds that are refinanced during the country’s traditional end-of-year auctions. Ten times more is being auctioned than last March.

Swedbank Mortgage will today (Monday) price a seven year covered bond at the tight end of guidance of the 60bp over mid-swaps area. The deal marks the beginning of what looks set to be a busy week in the covered bond market as other issuers have rushed to secure their place in a line-up that is already four institutions deep.