UK

Lloyds Bank decided to tender some of its covered bonds in three major currencies this week in what it called a “prudent approach” towards its liquidity base. The move could prompt more issuance in the asset class this year in an effort to refinance some of the tendered securities, but it could also decrease liquidity at the short end of the curve, given the cheaper refinancing alternatives open to banks.

Shares in On the Beach Group, the UK online retailer of beach holidays, traded as much as 10% higher on Friday morning after the company said it had raised £67m from investors to keep itself afloat following a dramatic fall in the volume of bookings during the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Shares in AJ Bell, the UK stockbroker, fell heavily in trading on Friday after Invesco sold a 7.6% stake in the company following first quarter results.

A series of comeback trades has established firm demand for every debt class in the bank bond market. With credit spreads moving another leg tighter this week, issuers must now consider whether they have a precious opportunity to wheel out their riskiest transactions with the coronavirus pandemic still threatening society and capital markets. Tyler Davies reports.

The Bank of England this week signaled that it is changing its stance and considering bringing its base rate into negative territory. But with the UK Debt Management Office (DMO) issuing three year paper with a negative yield for the first time, as well as printing £7bn ($8.56bn) of 41 year bonds, there are few worries for the SSA market.

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Whitbread, the parent of Premier Inn and Beefeater Restaurants, has unveiled plans for a £1bn rights issue tp bolster its balance sheet following mass disruption in the hospitality industry during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has forced the closure of pubs and hotels in the UK.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group took advantage of the strong appetite for senior debt in dollars this week, issuing $1.6bn of funding across two tranches. The deal, which included the first dollar issuance of green UK bank paper, offered no premium to investors.

SM Trust has offloaded €521m of stock in Just Eat Takeaway.com, the online food delivery company, following a rally during the Covid-19 pandemic as more customers order meals to their houses.

Banks want to position themselves as ahead of the curve on sustainability. They are among the most sophisticated, well resourced, IT-savvy organisations in the world. Why can't they work out the carbon footprints of their portfolios?

Compass, the FTSE 100 listed catering company, raised £1.8bn in an accelerated transaction on Tuesday, the largest UK Covid-19 capital raise so far.

Following last week’s record-breaking Gilt syndication, the UK returned for another impressive result, scooping up £7bn from a £52bn book and pricing with a minimal new issue premium, according to the leads.