Société Générale

A €220m loan backing the buyout of German jewellery chain Christ by 3i, the UK private equity and investment firm, will be marketed to lenders at a meeting in Frankfurt today.

Senior bank debt issuance picked up on Wednesday after Citigroup and DVB Bank had re-opened the European market on Tuesday after the European Central Bank's Asset Quality Review.

Mercuria Energy Group that launched its $1bn triple tranche revolving loan into general in September, will likely increase the size of its borrowing.

Heathrow has signed a £2.15bn refinancing of its revolving credit and liquidity facilities with a syndicate of 22 banks. The loan comprises a £1.4bn revolving credit facility and a £750m standby liquidity facility.

China Construction Bank International (Holdings) is in the market for a $100m three year loan with one mandated lead arranger and bookrunner.

Syndicating a reopening of a 55 year bond in a month where sterling was shaken by volatility could have been tough for the UK Debt Management Office this week. But it passed the test with flying colours, attracting its largest book ever on an ultra-long syndication and breaking the 3% yield bogey for the first time.

3i - Torm

For the first time the European Central Bank waded into the primary market for covered bonds for its third purchase programme (CBPP3) this week, as eurozone issuers from the currency bloc’s core and periphery returned after a long hiatus. The central bank’s buying may not be so good for core issuers but the evidence so far suggests peripheral names who have been locked out are about to bask in its largesse.

Louis Dreyfus — Geberit — Heathrow — Arkema

An investor spotted the opportunity to get more for its money from Santander ahead of the European Central Bank’s Asset Quality Review last week, driving up the coupon on a privately placed MTN. The note has since attracted interest from investors away from the deal and been increased three times, making it the largest privately placed MTN from the issuer this year.

Asian Development Bank brought its first dim sum in four years on Thursday, hot on the heels of a private placement in the format from Export Development Canada — its second offshore renminbi deal ever. The trades follow a dim sum from Province of British Columbia earlier in the week.

UK private equity and investment firm 3i is adding debt to the mix for its purchase of a controlling stake in Christ, the German jewellery chain, and has mandated four banks to arrange the financing.