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Europe's equity capital markets are heading for a crunch. Companies are set to launch a batch of IPOs so they price before investors disappear for the summer. But escalating trade tensions between China and the US threaten to rob them of their chance, writes Sam Kerr.

Complaining about MiFID is par for the course at industry gatherings. But Henrik Normann, president and CEO of the Nordic Investment Bank, told attendees at the 2019 conference of the International Capital Markets Association that the regulatory regime was only there “because the industry has failed”.

A consortium led by EQT Partners has won the auction of Nestlé Skin Health for Sfr10.2bn ($10.1bn), paving the way for what is likely to be the year’s largest leveraged buyout in Europe, and the third largest since the financial crisis, after AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals and Refinitiv last year.

Investors proved they were able to digest KfW's largest green bond yet on Tuesday. Deals in the billions of euros are set to become the norm for the Issuer as it looks to size its green trades closer to its conventional benchmarks.

A rallying equity market has tripped up the joint tender offer Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman made for German internet company Scout24, leaving leveraged finance bankers and investors mourning the loss of one of the few sizeable new money deals set to hit the market this year.

A director for responsible investment at a large asset manager has written to the CEO of the UK Debt Management Office pleading the case for the country to start issuing green bonds, as recommended by a government inquiry last year.

Europe’s next crop of IPOs are being prepared for lift-off next week despite heightened bearishness over US-China trade disagreements. Underwriters and issuers are keen to close deals before investors shut up shop for the summer.

The World Bank sold its first 10 year euro benchmark since 2009 on Tuesday, with the supranational going slightly through its own curve on its return, according to onlooking SSA bankers.

Covered bonds issued on Tuesday by UniCredit Bank AG and Hypo Vorarlberg Bank (HVB) found good demand, mainly from bank investors. Despite their meagre and diminishing returns, the bonds offered a better spread compared to other regulated assets.

Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) went to market today to issue a six-tranche euro and a two tranche sterling deal. It intends to raise debt to finance the acquisition of Worldpay as announced last month.

Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), a Russian steelmaker, is embarking on a roadshow to market a dollar benchmark bond with a five to seven year maturity as issuers and investors brush off the risks of further US sanctions on the country.

Banks working on the IPO of Finablr, the financial holding company that owns Travelex, had to reduce the price of the IPO and extended the books to 3pm on Tuesday, in order to price the transaction.