Sweden

After four euro new issues in two days, the sterling market took its chance for a day in the spotlight as two issuers chose to bring new deals while euro borrowers remained on the sidelines. However, despite the recent lack of issuance, investors pushed back on spreads being tightened.

SGG Group, the corporate and investor services firm based in Luxembourg and owned by Astorg, will fund its acquisition of UK peer First Names in the leveraged loan market, which has already enjoyed its busiest January ever in EMEA.

Covered bond investors are setting more conditions on their orders, joining order books later, and limiting tenors they will buy, anxious to avoid buying bonds that will underperform. Despite the picky investor base, Swedbank still raised a €1bn five year at a record tight spread.

The SSA market showed its “resilience” to the horror show in US equities early in the week as a series of borrowers printed strong dollar trades — one with its largest ever book, another with its largest size in years and not one paying up for the privilege. Some bankers suggested they may have benefited from a flight to safety but the general sense was that if the volatility comes back, public sector borrowers need not worry.

Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA

A pair of dollar deals on Wednesday showcased what bankers felt was a theme during a week with a volatile market backdrop, as a top tier name tightened pricing and was comfortably oversubscribed, while a second tier issuer was able to get a deal away but could not move in from price thoughts.

Public sector borrowers are reaping the benefits of investors looking to “weather the storm” of wider market volatility, said bankers, as investors poured cash into short dated dollar issues this week. Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten and Sweden are set to be the next issuers to benefit, after mandating for three year trades on Tuesday.

Swedish healthcare company Capio has given its revolving credit facility a shot in the arm by amending and extending it, increasing it by 45% to €343m-equivalent and extending its maturity by 2.5 years.

Despite mounting evidence of falling Swedish house prices and the likelihood that orders were lost at the re-offer spread, Swedish Covered Bond Corporation (SCBC) issued its tightest covered bond on Monday.

The Swedish Covered Bond Corporation has mandated joint leads for a seven year euro benchmark which is likely to be launched on Monday. The deal will be closely watched to see how it compares with Stadshypotek, which issued a seven year to a lacklustre reception in November.

Guarantor: Swedish local government members

The three year part of the dollar curve took centre stage for public sector issuers this week, having played second fiddle to fives so far this year. Issuers were met with just as strong a reception in the short end of the curve as they have enjoyed in fives so far — and SSA bankers believe some could be tempted to test the longer end.