Santander

Supportive secondary markets and tightening credit indices have deceived issuers of senior and covered bonds in the FIG market, causing five to pull the plug on new transactions over the span of five trading days. That left market participants wondering if the year is over for FIG issuance, as investors happy with returns on the year have avoided taking on further risk — despite issuers offering spreads that have previously led to successful deals, writes Nathan Collins.

Ben Molony, a FIG DCM banker from Citi, will be joining Santander Global Banking and Markets.

Burberry Group, the UK fashion house, has refinanced a £300m five year revolving credit facility.

Thursday was a busy day for European investment grade corporate bonds, with €4.9bn issued in euros and sterling. But with a great deal of diversity of issuers, maturities and currencies, the market had more appetite for some than for others.

Three issuers from France, Belgium and Germany raised €2.5bn in the covered bond market this week, and another €1bn transaction was expected from a Finnish issuer on Friday. The deals were all remarkable for the fact that the funding levels set new records for all issuers as the ECB’s allocation continued to grow, squeezing out other investors.

Italian power utility firm Enel has decided to raise the number of shares it is selling in Endesa after finding strong demand from investors.

Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas's shareholders approved a €1bn capital increase at an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Thursday in Barcelona, allowing the Spanish building and environmental services company to begin restructuring a €4.5bn loan.

Italian power utility firm Enel has decided to raise the number of shares it is selling in Endesa, after finding strong demand from investors.

A fire in its largest factory in Spain has led meat processor Campofrio to abandon plans to issue a bond to refinance senior unsecured notes maturing in 2016.

Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, the Spanish building and environmental services company, is close to reaching agreement with its creditors on a debt restructuring, according to a spokesman for the company.

Brazilian meatpacker Marfrig Global Foods will hold another day of investor calls on Tuesday ahead of a planned dollar deal that will be used to buy back existing bonds.

Publicis Groupe's $3.5bn loan for its acquisition of Sapient, the marketing and consulting company, is near closing, according to a banker working on the deal. A syndicate of relationship banks has been invited.