Spain

Fitch put CajaSur on Rating Watch Positive yesterday (Monday) after the Banco de España put the Spanish savings bank under the control of the Fund for the Orderly Restructuring of Banks (FROB).

The Banco de España has announced that CajaSur is being taken under the control of Spain’s Fund for the Orderly Restructuring of Banks (FROB), after merger discussions with Unicaja ended.

A merger of Caixa Catalunya, Caixa Manresa and Caixa Tarragona approved by the banks on Monday will create a new entity that will be the fourth largest Spanish savings bank. The transaction is the first major savings bank merger approved by the Bank of Spain and the European Commission, according to Caixa Catalunya.

Moody’s downgraded five multi-cédulas issues yesterday (Monday) because of a significant weakening of the credit strength of some of the participating issuers and “quite pronounced” deterioration of the quality of the collateral.

Standard & Poor’s yesterday (Wednesday) said that a downgrade of Spain from AA+ to AA, on negative outlook, would not “automatically” trigger cuts of Spanish financial institutions’ ratings, although it downgraded five Portuguese banks on Tuesday after lowering their sovereign’s rating that day.

La Caixa built a modestly oversubscribed order book for a Eu1bn three year public sector-backed deal yesterday (Tuesday) that has been the only benchmark covered bond issuance so far this week, with the pace of supply slowing markedly in comparison with previous weeks.

La Caixa launched a three year public sector covered bond this (Tuesday) morning at levels wider than those discussed last week to take into account an underperformance of Spanish government bonds since then. Only one publicly announced mandate remains in the pipeline, with volcanic ash potentially disrupting preparations for further supply.

La Caixa is expected to launch a cédulas territoriales transaction tomorrow (Tuesday), with benchmark covered bond issuance absent so far today in markets where risk appetite has reduced, partly unsettled by the levelling of fraud charges against Goldman Sachs.

Intesa Sanpaolo yesterday (Thursday) launched the first benchmark off its public sector covered bond programme, a Eu2bn seven year deal that surpassed the size initially targeted by the issuer, and will now focus on readying a mortgage-backed programme for issuance in the coming months. Meanwhile, Caisse de Refinancement de l’Habitat added Eu800m to a 3.75% 2020 issue and La Caixa today announced a mandate.

Intesa Sanpaolo has launched its inaugural covered bond, a Eu2bn seven year Italian public sector deal that will be priced at 50bp over mid-swaps, in line with guidance, later today (Thursday). Meanwhile, France’s Caisse de Refinancement de l’Habitat has reopened a 2020 issue and Spanish savings bank Caja Murcia is on a roadshow.

Helaba will today (Wednesday) price its first jumbo Pfandbrief in six years, a Eu1bn seven year issue that, in the words of one syndicate official, met with a “complete stampede” for paper. Meanwhile, Ibercaja priced a Eu500m five year deal and Intesa Sanpaolo is expected to make its debut shortly.

Dexia Municipal Agency built an order book in excess of Eu1.25bn for a five year obligations foncières issue this (Tuesday) morning, while demand for new Spanish supply was subdued. A German bank, meanwhile, is expected to firm up plans shortly that will make it the sixth issuer to tap the covered bond market this week.