Danske Bank sold a twice-subscribed $1bn five year senior unsecured bond on Monday, with a lead noting it priced close to a recent issue from Swedbank, which is more established in the US market. Sparebanken Sør is expected next week with an inaugural euro benchmark covered bond.
Norway’s SpareBank 1 Boligkreditt sold a Eu1bn seven year covered bond on Wednesday that was described as “textbook” into a busy euro covered bond market where eight issues totalling Eu6bn were launched this week.
Sparebanken Vest Boligkreditt on Wednesday sold a Eu500m five year covered bond that was twice oversubscribed at the same time as achieving “ambitious” pricing, and an official at the Norwegian issuer said that recognition of the credit is increasing.
A DNB €1.5bn five year covered bond attracted over €2bn of demand yesterday (Thursday) as eight euro benchmarks totalling €8.5bn hit the market this week, with the asset class proving resilient amid tough conditions, although a SR-Boligkreditt deal was seen as a struggle.
Nordea Eiendomskreditt attracted £425m of orders for a £400m (€545m) three year floating rate covered bond on Wednesday, which, alongside similar issues for Lloyds beforehand and Bank of Nova Scotia afterwards, bankers said shows sterling to be an attractive option for issuers.
Eika Boligkreditt waited for a window amid heavy euro covered bond supply to sell its first euro benchmark of the year on Wednesday, pricing a Eu500m six year transaction with a relatively slim new issue premium after eight deals had hit the market in the first two days of the week.
Swedbank exceeded expectations with a covered bond on Tuesday after SR-Boligkreditt sold a well-received debut on Monday, and the Nordic issues were identified as being among the strongest results during a busy week in which spreads widened and many deals struggled to find demand.
Sweden’s Skandiabanken is seeking bondholder approval to transfer two outstanding Norwegian krone senior unsecured FRNs to a new subsidiary in Norway it is establishing ahead of a fourth quarter IPO of its banking operations in that country.
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.
The expected implementation in Norway of a resolution regime equivalent to the EU Bank Recovery & Resolution Directive (BRRD) will result in Norwegian covered bonds having less exposure to bank defaults and losses, Moody’s said last Friday (14 August), highlighting the rating benefits this has led to.