North America

Wayfair, the US e-commerce company that sells home office furniture, has raised $1.32bn with the sale of a new convertible bond, after a surge in its stock price during the Covid-19 pandemic.

US corporates under stress from Covid-19 economic shocks, especially those in the real estate sector, have been struggling in their renegotiations of loan and swap agreements as power has flowed back to the banks, writes Ross Lancaster.

ABN Amro plans to quit corporate banking outside Europe, except for clearing, and also exit trade and commodity finance in a shake-out of its corporate and investment banking activities.

Prudential plc confirmed this week that it intends to separate from its US arm, Jackson National. The move means Prudential will likely deleverage by letting bonds roll off over the next two years.

KKR, the US private equity group, has sold a $1bn mandatory convertible bond to fund its acquisition of life insurer Global Atlantic Financial Group, which it announced last month.

Vistas Media Acquisition Co (VMAC) has raised $100m after listing on the Nasdaq. It plans to use the funds for M&A in the media and entertainment industry.

Bermuda could issue a new bond in the coming days as it looks to fund the buy-back of up to $500m of debt.

Bankers in advisory, as well as the management at banks, are likely to receive lower bonuses this year, according to Johnson Associates, a compensation consultant for the financial sector. However, traders and bankers working in underwriting are in line to enjoy a boost.

HSBC Holdings has launched a tender offer for nine short-dated senior securities in dollars as it looks to optimise its liability structure for the total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC) requirements. The announcement followed a dual-tranche senior deal in the same currency.

European banks will be subject to some of the Federal Reserve’s highest capital targets, after the US regulator switched to using stress test results as the main input for its requirements.

The convertible bond market has played a vital role during the Covid-19 global pandemic in funding corporates that were in urgent need of liquidity as the crisis took hold. Deals have performed for investors too, although they should be concerned about the potential for rising defaults.

US-listed OneConnect Financial Technology Co, a Chinese company whose stock price has doubled this year, is tapping equity investors for new funds.