The International Monetary Fund has voiced its support for regulatory initiatives underway in Norway such as plans for higher risk weights for mortgages and closer scrutiny of covered bond issuance. Meanwhile, the Riksbank said Sweden’s banks need to be more resilient in the long run.
Fitch has made more conservative some of its criteria for analysing residential loans in Norway, it said on Monday.
SpareBank 1 Boligkreditt priced a $1bn five year deal yesterday (Wednesday) after choosing the US dollar market over euros for its first benchmark covered bond of the year to capture momentum from a recent roadshow in the US, while a French issuer is also said to be eyeing dollars.
Eika Boligkreditt has responded to stricter capital requirements proposed by the country’s ministry of finance by increasing its capital targets, in relation to which it will seek approval to issue up to Nkr600m of new subordinated debt, it announced today (Thursday).
Eika Boligkreditt, formerly known as Terra BoligKreditt (TBK), posted a 240% rise in pre-tax profit in 2012 following an increase in lending activities and in margins on lending, according to an official at the Norwegian issuer.
A proposal by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet) to tighten risk weights for residential mortgages is credit positive as it would press Norwegian banks to further strengthen their capital bases, Moody’s said on Monday.
DNB today (Thursday) became the first European issuer to sell a US targeted benchmark covered bond this year, after SEB yesterday placed an inaugural, $1.25bn five year senior unsecured deal as dollars offered high quality Yankee names better terms than euros.
Moody’s downgraded the ratings of SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge and Sparebanken Hedmark from A1 to A2 on Monday, but confirmed the A2 ratings of SpareBank 1 SMN and SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, citing a weakening of the SpareBank 1 Alliance.
Norway’s FSA appears to have come out in favour of a bank-by-bank approach to assessing risks associated with covered bond issuance, according to feedback given to the ministry of finance, while Norges Bank has opposed giving covered bond companies regular access to its liquidity facilities.
SpareBank 1 SMN paid up to sell an inaugural fixed rate euro senior unsecured transaction last Thursday (14 February), but hopes that the spread between it and its Norwegian peers will narrow over time after an encouraging investor reception, said an official at the issuer.