Santander

Liability management transactions from BRF Brasil Foods and Fibria Celulose have brought the number of Brazilian companies to issue new bonds to finance tender offers for existing paper up to six in 2014 as borrowers rush to take advantage of low rates.

Santander is making a return to the additional tier one market for the second time in two months, getting in front of any potential surge in supply that may come from other banks, including Deutsche Bank, in the subordinated market in coming sessions.

Food conglomerate BRF Brasil Foods is likely to bring a new dollar bond to market soon after announcing a tender offer for outstanding debt subject to financing on Wednesday morning.

Two more instalments in the unfolding saga of the corporate floating rate note appeared this week, with a €500m 4.9 year deal by Société des Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône on Tuesday and a €300m three year by Volkswagen Bank on Wednesday.

Compagnie de Financement Foncier (CFF) came to market with its second Obligation Foncière of the year on Tuesday, matching the previous deal’s €1bn size — but this time in a 10 year maturity, rather than five year tenor.

Santander, the eurozone’s largest bank by market capitalisation, saw year-on-year profits grow by 8.1% to €1.3bn in the first quarter of 2014, the highest in the last eight quarters, in what the bank said illustrated its “return to more normal levels” of profitability.

A global-local currency bond proved to be one ambitious step too far for a hot LatAm market on Thursday as the Dominican Republic failed to garner enough interest to sell a Dominican peso-denominated bond. But bankers away from the deal praised the sovereign’s first 30 year issue as strong liquidity continues to support high yield issuers.

Two contrasting equity-linked issuers received very different receptions as the convertible bond market re-opened this week.

Peruvian agribusiness Camposol is looking to price a tap of its 2017s later in the week as traders say the market remains supportive to LatAm issuers.

Brazilian cement company Votorantim Cimentos completed its second debt liability management exercise of the year last week after nearly 60% of investors holding the company’s €750m notes due 2017 agreed to sell their paper.

Liability management transactions continue to dominate Brazilian bond supply, with regulars Braskem and Votorantim raising money for buybacks on Wednesday.

Both of Thursday’s new bond issues from Latin America traded up on Friday as the rally in the region shows no signs of slowing. And bankers heard at least two new borrowers were planning deals to take advantage of strong demand for LatAm credit.