UniCredit

Investors in long dated senior unsecured debt appeared to have abandoned their yield targets this week, sending coupons below 3% on a Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel fixed rate transaction, amid one of the busiest weeks of activity in the senior unsecured financials market this year.

A trio of rare dollar issuers took to the short end of the curve this week, supplying investors at a point that has been starved of new deals this year. The Kingdom of Denmark drew the strongest response, beating out even the Bank of England in terms of demand and pricing at the same level.

After announcing a spectacular €9.3bn goodwill writedown and €7.2bn loan loss provision, UniCredit is trying to get back on the front foot, with a plan to deploy more capital in central and eastern Europe, while hiving off its non-core portfolio into a standalone business.

After announcing a spectacular €9.3bn goodwill writedown and €7.2bn loan loss provision, UniCredit is trying to get back on the front foot, with a plan to deploy more capital in central and eastern Europe, while hiving off its non-core portfolio into a standalone business.

Market softening on continuing concerns over the Asian economy isn’t having any apparent effect on KBC Group’s euro additional tier one deal, which was launched on Wednesday morning by lead managers Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, KBC Bank, Morgan Stanley and UBS. The deal is looking set to price at the tightest coupon level for an AT1 deal so far, despite other recent names trading weaker on the secondary market on Wednesday.

Any doubt over the enthusiasm for senior euro denominated bank debt on Monday, when a short selloff was followed by three successful pricings, was entirely dispelled by Tuesday morning, with three more senior deals hitting the market and meeting big demand off the bat.

Nordex signs guarantee facility — Eramet mandates for loan — Ceva Sante sets date

Credit Suisse drew in €3.3bn of demand for its €1.75bn five year deal, the biggest of 2014 as generous pricing and name recognition spurred demand. By contrast, La Caisse Centrale Desjardins du Quebec pulled in a relatively anaemic book €1.2bn for its inaugural legislative €1bn five year deal.

German wind turbine maker Nordex Group has signed a €550m 2.5 year loan from 10 lenders.

Pohjola Bank assumed the sole responsibility for euro senior unsecured supply this week as FIG syndicates had their first glimpse this year of an increasingly frustrating trend — banks turning down excellent issuance conditions because of reduced funding needs.

Do & Co, the Austrian catering and restaurants company, issued its first bond on Tuesday, in a successful sale that attracted just under €600m of demand.

Banca Popolare di Vicenza is preparing to launch a platform to issue minibonds in Italy, believing it has solved several of the practical challenges facing this nascent market for bonds from small and medium sized enterprises.