UniCredit

The stars aligned for French drink company Pernod Ricard’s return to the bond market, with the issuer printing flat to its curve, or even through it by some estimates, in its first outing since being upgraded by two credit rating agencies.

France’s Pernod Ricard is in the market on Monday for a €1.5bn trade, with the drinks company striking while the iron is hot to print debt after being upgraded by two agencies last week.

The European Stability Mechanism has chosen a five year tenor to kick off its funding for the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, a French public sector agency is out with its debut sustainable benchmark bond.

Banco BPM extended the run of recent Italian bank bond supply this week, launching a preferred senior bond. The deal was launched at 200bp over mid-swaps and did not offer a new issue premium to investors, according to a banker on the deal.

German home improvement and garden supplies chain Hornbach issued €250m of senior unsecured notes on Thursday, for a coupon of just 3.25%. While the retail sector in general makes investors wary and Germany is lurching towards recession, investors showed confidence in the home improvement market.

Credito Emiliano continued an Italian bank bond spree on Friday, choosing a quiet day to market a debut non-preferred senior bond. The deal comes one day after Banca del Mezzogiorno priced a social bond.

E.On and Engie pushed ahead with tightly priced deals on Thursday, easing concerns from earlier in the week that ZF Freidrichshafen’s widely priced bonds would create a new level for issuance.

Mann+Hummel, a veteran borrower in the Schuldschein market, struggled to place a Schuldschein, according to market sources, with participants citing ZF Friedrichshafen’s blockbuster transaction as well as the market’s over-indulgence in the auto sector this year as chief reasons.

BPCE and Banca Farmafactoring launched senior deals this week, with both issuers enjoying healthy receptions to their offerings. BPCE’s non-preferred mandate drew over €2.75bn of orders and the Italian issuer saw its preferred bond attract €850m at the spread level.

Russian potash producer Uralkali hit the market on Tuesday, tightening pricing on a $500m bond issue, the borrower's first international deal since 2013. DCM bankers are confident Russian issuance will continue to fill the market throughout the fourth quarter, as Norilsk Nickel began a roadshow.

Three issuers spanning the CEEMEA region released initial guidance for dollar deals on Tuesday morning in London — one each from Russia, Abu Dhabi and Togo. All three bonds are expected to be printed later on Tuesday.

UBI Banca launched a €500m non-preferred senior bond this week, supported by orders of €1.4bn at peak, but it had to pay a new issue premium, according to a FIG banker.