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The Single Resolution Board has said it will offer banks some flexibility around their regulatory reporting deadlines, easing the operational strain on the sector during the coronavirus pandemic. But European banks are looking more clarity on certain elements related to the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities.

Debt relief, restructuring and trillions of dollars of official institution funding are all speeding down the tracks towards emerging markets, as the number of countries with desperate financing needs across the world rapidly stacks up. Ross Lancaster, Burhan Khadbai, Mariam Meskin, Phil Thornton and Oliver West report.

Those pleading for a shared EU-level fiscal response to the economic damage of the coronavirus outbreak were thrown a bone on Thursday when Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, promised a €100bn unemployment fund backed by €25bn from EU member states. But her silence on the prospect of further debt mutualisation spoke volumes to market participants.

Mizuho Bank said it had hired former Lloyds banker John Feeney as head of its European corporate finance department, responsible for growing European corporate banking.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will prevent its financial institutions from redeeming subordinated bonds during the coronavirus pandemic, putting itself in contrast with other parts of the world, where banks remain free to manage their debt capital as they see fit.

EU finance ministers will call on regulatory authorities next week to be as flexible as possible so that banks can carry on lending through the coronavirus crisis, building on initial moves towards supervisory relief.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary capital markets activity. The North American corporate bond market funded a staggering record $194bn of investment grade issues in March while Europe has also been busy — shaking up the league tables and yielding a surprise windfall for the very largest investment banks.

The Bank of England threatened to use its ‘supervisory powers’ on UK banks if they did not agree to suspend dividend distributions this year and stop paying cash bonuses to staff. The instructions do not apply to the equity-like CCDS instruments issued by building societies.

The loans market has been one part of the capital markets that has perhaps unsurprisingly taken to working from home easier than most. Some loans bankers even see a world after the pandemic where one or two days a week working out of the office becomes the norm.

HSBC has promoted two bankers internally to head up its capital markets business in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

A leading covered bond investor has reacted positively to a series of measures announced by Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions’ (OSFI) which have effectively provided stable access to emergency funding, including a temporary increase in the amount of covered bonds the country's banks can issue. The move comes after a heavy spell of supply that had sparked concerns that Canadian banks were struggling for cash.

The covered bond market’s reputation for a being a close knit community has served it well during this difficult period with members staying in close virtual contact as they self-isolate at home. On the whole, the experience has proved positive, though it’s clear that some have found it difficult to separate work from play.