Santander

FIG borrowers may be well funded, but rates are low and market conditions are good enough to support opportunistic issuance — as was shown this week by a slate of deals across the capital structure. Given a volatile end to 2020 is likely, issuers will need to stay alert and take advantage of funding windows as they arise, write Frank Jackman and Bill Thornhill.

Aveva, the UK software company, has completed another round of loan financing linked to its $5bn purchase of US industrial software company OSIsoft, with the acquisitive firm taking a sterling revolver but scrapping a planned $900m loan.

Tesco, the UK grocer, has refinanced its sterling facility with a £2.5bn sustainability-linked deal that uses risk-free rates as a benchmark, as companies try to get to grips with the end of Libor.

Crédit Agricole and Nykredit Realkredit were able to push aggressively on pricing in the additional tier one (AT1) market this week, as they took advantage of favourable supply and demand dynamics.

Dürr, the unrated German mechanical and plant engineering firm, is guiding investors on its final day of marketing towards it issuing a €250m bond with a yield aligned to issuers in the double-B ratings bracket.

Eni, the Italian oil and gas company, got blowout demand for its debut hybrid capital issue on Tuesday, as yield-hungry investors pumped about €14bn of orders into the dual tranche trade.

Risk appetite has returned to the high grade corporate bond market, with UK airport Heathrow and US drinks firm PepsiCo managing to move spreads by around 45bp during execution.

A trio of firsts are coming to the high grade corporate bond market this week, with a debut hybrid from Italian oil and gas firm Eni, a green first for French chemicals company Arkema and a postponed entry to the Eurobond market for Danish pharmaceutical firm Lundbeck.

BPER Banca, the Modena-based banking group, has unveiled the terms for a €800m rights issue to fund an acquisition of hundreds of branches across northern Italy from Intesa Sanpaolo.

Fresnillo, the Mexican mining company, notched a first bond in seven years close to where bankers spotted fair value on Tuesday to reassure market participants that issuance are good for strong credits.

Fresenius, the German healthcare company, pushed ahead with a €1bn dual tranche no-grow trade on Monday, despite an issuer in another sector pulling its deal as wider markets plummeted.

Spanish telecoms group MasMovil is preparing a €720m bond, the second part of the financing for its take-private by Cinven, KKR and Providence Private Equity. Most of the €2.9bn financing came through a loan issue, allocated in July, with the bonds readied following shareholder acceptance for the offer last week.