Norway

The first scorecard of 2020 looks at the progress Nordic agencies have made in their funding programmes at the start of March.

Executives working on the $411m resale of Teekay Offshore Partners bonds by Brookfield, the Canadian asset manager, have slowed their work on the deal this week as high yield market conditions worsened amid growing concern about the coronavirus outbreak.

Trading levels given are bid-side spreads versus mid-swaps and/or an underlying benchmark and bid-yields from the close of business on Monday, February 24. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services.

Three banks seized a favourable backdrop in the bond market to sell senior bonds this week, finding a warm welcome for maturities from three to six years.

BW Energy, the oil exploration and production company, has priced its Oslo IPO after lowering its valuation target and shrinking the deal, having encountered resistance from investors as the coronavirus outbreak in China knocked 20% off the oil price.

SR Boligkreditt issued a euro covered bond on Monday and, for the first time in its history, was able to price in line with Sparebank 1 Boligkreditt (Spabol). However, its hopes of issuing more than its usual €500m size were dashed.

It was third time lucky for Norway this week as it rocketed to a Nkr65bn ($7.0bn) order book with its third syndication. There was a marked increase in real money participation, meeting one of the Norges Bank’s main aims for its syndication programme.

The Kingdom of Norway hit screens on Tuesday with initial pricing thoughts on its yearly syndicated benchmark.

Danish aircraft lessor Nordic Aviation Capital has sold $858m in US private placements, according to market sources, which is the largest PP issue by an aircraft lessor in the history of the market. UK-based energy yieldco Atlantica Yield has also issued US private placements.

The Kingdom of Norway is eyeing the international investor base as it prepares to launch its yearly Norwegian krone bond syndication — a new 10 year benchmark, set to mature in August 2030.

BW Offshore, the Norwegian operator of floating oil storage vessels, has fixed a price range for the Nkr1.659bn ($187m) listing of its exploration and production unit BW Energy on the Oslo Børs.

Two supranationals hopped into the Kangaroo market with environmental, social governance (ESG) bond taps this week, in a move that is becoming increasingly popular. With a local holiday this weekend marking the end of antipodean summer, bankers expect Australian dollar issuance to restart in the next few weeks.