SEB

Sanoma, the Finnish learning and media company, has signed €550m of bank funding, some of it earmarked to fund its acquisition of Iddink, the Dutch educational platform and service provider.

SEB issued a seven year covered bond last week 9bp tighter than where DNB Boligkreditt was able to print at the start of this year, showing just how far spreads have rallied. Even though the market is still well supported, investors could soon become reluctant to chase the market even tighter.

Green bond watchers are putting out their forecasts for issuance this year, hoping for a return to growth after a disappointing 2018. The year has started decently, with at least $6bn issued so far, including this week’s debut issue from Telefónica, hailed as the first from the telecoms sector.

Covered bond investors could not get enough of Swedish seven year deals issued this week by Swedbank and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken. But whether record order books are being inflated remains a moot point.

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken followed Swedbank with a seven year deal, printing a well oversubscribed €1.25bn covered bond on Thursday flat to its curve. The deal comes as Citi research suggested excess demand for covered bonds issued this month is at a record level.

The socially responsible investment market in SSAs is picking up pace in 2019, with a supranational bringing a deal in a debut format and other issuers preparing inaugural trades.

Finnair has signed a €175m revolving credit facility, as it expands its routes to fly to new Asian destinations.

Leveraged finance markets in Europe are looking up, and bankers expect they may even see some deals priced before long.

SEB has selected a new head of equity capital markets following Artem Kosenko’s move across to debt capital markets.

Barry Callebaut, the chocolate company headquartered in Switzerland, has launched a triple tranche Schuldschein a month after a roadshow for a sustainable bond failed to produce a public market result.

Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab has finished its Skr6bn (€581m) rights issue with enough demand to almost cover the deal twice over.

Record numbers of speculative grade bonds have exceeded the limits of the European Central Bank's leveraged lending guidelines, research from SEB showed this week.