Pre-migration untagged articles

Portugal’s growth prospects are as dismal as ever. It needs IMF-style macro reform like the Greeks need a decent accountant. Passing the government’s proposed reforms would have helped and moreover was pretty much the prerequisite for the bail-out the country will almost certainly now have to take.

A tighter euro/dollar basis swap this week made many issuers’ dollar levels less attractive at the short end of the curve, and investors picked up commercial paper from sovereign, supranational and agency names at the long end.

Japan’s government is in the midst of a crisis of epic proportions, and all attention must be on helping the country get through the terrible situation it is facing. But soon the task of rebuilding the country will begin — and there is no nation in Asia better equipped to do so.

Dealers of private EMTNs: Non-syndicated deals for less than $250m excluding financial repackaged SPVs, GSE issuers, self-led deals and issues with a term of less than 365 days

Volatility in the Nikkei 225 is leading some investors to request buy-backs of notes linked to the index, MTN dealers told EuroWeek this week.

If recent trends in the primary market are anything to go by, Europe’s corporate borrowers look better off these days being rated triple or even double B than having single A, blue chip status.

Market participants warned last week that a proposed European Parliament ban on naked shorting of EU sovereign CDS would result in increasing borrowing costs for sovereigns and corporates.

Ireland sold its first commercial paper trades since January on Thursday, printing Eu100m, Eu105m and $10m of 31 day paper.

Dealers of private EMTNs: Non-syndicated deals for less than $250m excluding financial repackaged SPVs, self-led deals and issues with a term of less than 365 days