OP Mortgage Bank set the tone for a strong week in the covered bond market with a Eu1.25bn five year issue on Monday that attracted orders approaching Eu1.8bn at a limited new issue premium, with Stadshypotek and Danske Bank Finland following successfully in its wake.
Finland came second to Germany in a ranking by Moody’s of eight covered bond jurisdictions according to how they deal with the consequences of an issuer default, with Norway and Sweden being placed mid-table.
Danske Bank launched a Eu1bn (Dkr7.5bn) five year covered bond on Tuesday amid a wave of supply that the market proved more than able to absorb, and further benchmarks are due early next week.
Pohjola Bank turned to the Swedish krona market to raise Tier 2 debt on Tuesday after having retreated from a planned euro issue in June, and in doing so sold a Skr3.5bn FRN that is the largest single-tranche Tier 2 in the Swedish market and which market participants said offered savings for the Finnish issuer.
A move by the Finnish FSA (Finanssivalvonta) to designate Nordea Bank Finland, OP Financial Group, Danske Bank and Municipality Finance as systemically important credit institutions, and therefore impose upon them additional capital requirements, is credit positive for the affected banks, according to Moody’s.
Pohjola Bank mandated leads for a euro-denominated Tier 2 benchmark on Monday, but despite a smattering of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) and Tier 2 supply this week a deal for the Finnish issuer did not emerge against the volatile market backdrop.
Finland’s Ålandsbanken launched its largest ever covered bond on Tuesday, a Eu250m no-grow five year issue that the issuer’s head of group treasury said represented successful pricing and diversification, even if it had to pay up for the sub-benchmark size.
Pohjola Bank achieved investor diversification through a debut syndicated sterling deal on Tuesday, a £700m (Eu976m) dual-tranche issue that benefited from positive sentiment that followed a decisive UK election result while volatility hit the euro market.
The Central Bank of Savings Banks Finland (Sp Central Bank) on Tuesday sold an inaugural Eu500m five year senior unsecured bond, reopening wholesale funding for the Savings Banks Group and achieving the issuer’s target of building a large, highly granular order book.
A move by Finnish banks to allow households amortisation-free periods on their mortgages free of charge is a short term boon for Finland’s economy, but could pose a long term risk to the banking system, Moody’s warned on Monday.