NordLB

The European Union has issued its first ever Schuldschein, and may issue further such deals.

Finnish packaging firm Huhtamäki closed a heavily oversubscribed dual currency Schuldschein on Monday as opportunities to invest in multiple currencies attract foreign lenders into the market.

Yorkshire Building Society defied concerns around the UK’s decision to leave the European Union this week, issuing a well oversubscribed covered bond that was very broadly distributed and that priced almost flat to its curve.

Germany’s WL Bank priced a €250m tap of its 10 year mortgage backed Pfandbrief on Thursday, taking advantage of the squeezed market to price flat to its curve. Cheaper French covered bonds have performed well lately and profit taking was seen in the UK sector.

CPPIB Capital is looking to step across the Atlantic into euros, selecting four banks to roadshow its euro debut. Elsewhere, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) sent out its first request for proposals for the second quarter.

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WL Bank took advantage of strong funding conditions — and a reverse enquiry — to issue a tightly priced 20 year public sector backed Pfandbrief on Thursday, the longest covered bond from Germany this year. The transaction follows the announcement of plans to merge the cover pools of WL Bank and DG Hyp.

The International Investment Bank (IIB), an ex-Soviet multilateral development agency, launched a Schuldschein (SSD) this week, in a transaction that highlighted the taste for the exotic in the internationalisation of the market. The loan is being promoted to the full spectrum of investors as market watchers wait to see who will bite, writes Silas Brown.

Multilateral development agency International Investment Bank (IIB) launched a debut Schuldschein (SSD) on Wednesday.

Natixis Pfandbriefbank raised five year funding through its German subsidiary on Thursday and paid a more attractive concession than usual because of the deal’s sub-benchmark size. Despite perceived illiquidity, bid-offer spreads for sub-benchmark bonds are not much different to benchmark deals several weeks after launch, according to Citi research analysts.

With more than 100 investors in the book and an oversubscription ratio of nearly three times, Nord/LB’s Luxembourg subsidiary enjoyed one of the best receptions of any €500m covered bond seen this year and one that was much better than all its previous deals.

A few of Europe's smaller borrowers are trying their luck now that the storm of issuance that thronged markets through most of January has abated.