UK

The $8.8bn merger between UK software company Micro Focus and assets of Hewlett Packard Enterprise has gifted the loan market a $5.5bn deal, one of the largest in the UK this year.

National Australia Bank will give investors the chance to buy into Clydesdale additional tier one and tier two debt, having mandated banks for a roadshow next week.

Two UK property companies have launched equity raises to finance growth in the last week, despite fears of a downturn in the sector following the UK’s Brexit vote.

WPP, the UK advertising and public relations firm, came to the sterling bond market on Wednesday for a £400m 30 year issue that included a novel choice of bookrunner.

The head of European high yield credit trading at Citigroup is leaving the bank to pursue a career away from rival banks.

Advent International and Bain Capital this week completed their second block trade of shares in Worldpay, the UK payment services provider, since its IPO in October last year, raising £987m via an accelerated bookbuild.

Talk of the European Central Bank extending its bond buying programme to banks sent the iTraxx Europe Senior Financials credit default swap basket back within 20bp of the Main index on Monday and to its tightest levels since the UK referendum vote on EU membership at the end of June.

British American Tobacco issued the first corporate sterling bond of the autumn on Monday as it reached for tenor, tapping the market for a 36 year deal.

Aviva and Prudential were looking to issue new tier two bonds at the beginning of the week, with insurers looking to profit from recent resilience in spread levels and strong appetite for UK risk.

Telefónica announced on Monday an intention to sell a portion of its telecommunications infrastructure subsidiary, Telxius. It is part of the largest listed Spanish company's attempts to reduce its debt, along with a listing of UK mobile firm, O2.

ICBC Standard Bank has hired Vikram Khanna as head of advisory, a newly created position.

Segro, the UK property developer, has raised £324m through an accelerated bookbuild it launched on Friday morning after saying that the Brexit vote had not affected its operational performance.