Nederlandse Waterschapsbank

Nederlandse Waterschapsbank (NWB) will look to fill the €1bn-€1.5bn it has left to raise this year with its annual water bond benchmark and potentially a short end benchmark. That is in keeping with the wider SSA market, where bankers expect socially responsible investment (SRI) issuance to form the bulk of this year’s final trades.

Nederlandse Waterschapsbank will look to fill the €1bn-€1.5bn it has left to raise this year with its annual water bond benchmark and potentially a short end benchmark. That is in keeping with the wider SSA market, where bankers expect SRI issuance to form the bulk of the last trades this year.

The Netherlands plans to join the burgeoning list of sovereign green bond issuers and could become the first triple-A rated country in the group. Whether the bond will be via syndication or the country's preferred auction method has yet to be decided. Meanwhile, two of the country’s public sector SRI borrowers were busy in the format this week.

Rating: Aaa/AAA

Signs emerged in the SSA market this week that not all SRI bonds are equally worthwhile as far as investors are concerned, particularly when market conditions are not ideal. A series of bonds with a green label went through with little difficulty but a pair of social bonds were undersubscribed. Craig McGlashan reports.

Public sector borrowers were able to tighten pricing and achieve well oversubscribed books for socially responsible investment bonds on Tuesday, as investors took advantage of the flood of issuance in the sector. The momentum is likely to continue with more deals expected over the coming weeks, according to SSA bankers.

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti on Tuesday brought the first syndicated SSA supply from Italy since a large sell-off in BTPs began in May — and investors appeared happy with the risk, allowing tightened pricing and a well-oversubscribed book. The sustainability bond came amid a flurry of SRI deals.

Established SRI bond issuers are bringing deals to market over the coming weeks, including a new format from a seasoned borrower.

Rating: Aaa/AAA

A flash of public sector SRI bond issuance last week heated up on Monday, as Nederlandse Waterschapsbank found a strong reception for an affordable housing bond and Nordic Investment Bank prepared an environmental offering in a tenor that bankers said was attracting strong demand.

A pair of supranationals helped bolster Hong Kong’s green bond ambitions with some SRI deals this week.

After several weeks of focusing on conventional bonds in core currencies, SSAs popped back into the socially responsible investments (SRI) market this week. Nederlandse Waterschapsbank (NWB) is laying the ground for an affordable housing bond in euros, while the European Investment Bank found a solid reception for a Climate Awareness Bond that came in rare seven year dollar form.