Raiffeisen Bank International AG

Raiffeisen Bank International’s clients are increasingly looking to achieve more sustainable, fairer and more transparent ways of doing business. In this context, RBI maintains a comprehensive dialogue with an ever-increasing pool of clients on sustainable finance, e.g. bonds, loans and Schuldscheine. We focus our attention not only on “green”, but also cover sustainability-linked instruments, a rapidly growing area in the sustainable finance universe.

Since 2018, Raiffeisen Bank International has issued several green bonds. Targeting private and institutional investors, the bonds support the growth of green financing at RBI’s headquarters and across its subsidiary banks in CEE, thereby facilitating a reduction of more than 60,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. This corresponds to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 13,000 cars or almost 7,000 households.

European green bond issuance has significantly outpaced that in other regions over the last four years and in 2020 the European Union is set to be responsible for more than 50% of global green bond issues (sources: S&P Ratings, Climate Bond Initiative).

BP, the oil major, was joined at the long end of the bond market on Tuesday by railway company Deutsche Bahn, as issuers take advantage of low spreads to stretch out their debt maturities.

CPI Property, the Frankfurt listed property owner, has signed a new €700m revolving credit facility, bumping up the size of its main bank line as lenders say liquidity is still a focus for corporates.

Emerging market issuers have crept back into the small issuance window in international markets after a brief pause for the US elections, with Dubai Islamic Bank and Uzbekistan’s Ipoteka Bank issuing dollar-denominated bonds this week.

The City of Bremen was heavily undersubscribed as it came to the market with an eight year bond on Thursday, in what is the region’s second consecutive public deal that has failed to reach full subscription.

Hungarian oil and gas company Mol on Thursday raised a seven year bond in euros.

Ukrainian steel and mining company Metinvest was one of several emerging markets issuers to tap bond markets this week. The deal was several times oversubscribed, confirming that investors are still on the hunt for yield and are willing to look to single B rated emerging market credits for that.

Harald Kröger is set to take charge of Raiffeisen Bank International’s group investment banking division from October 1.

Intesa Sanpaolo racked up plenty of orders behind an additional tier one (AT1) on Tuesday, showing that investors are hungry for new sources of yield. The deal ended a long pause for sales of subordinated debt in the euro market.

The additional tier one market is putting too much emphasis on the risk that banks will try and extend the lives of their bonds, according to Atlanticomnium, suggesting there is plenty of room for the asset class to rally this year.