Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) took advantage of a strong post-FOMC market to attract some $3bn of demand to a $600m perpetual non-call five Additional Tier 1 on 16 March, its first AT1 transaction in over two years.
SEB sold a €1bn senior unsecured FRN with an uncommon four year maturity on Wednesday, opting for this partly to tap a part of the curve vacated in light of upcoming TLTROs, according to SEB’s John Arne Wang, with eventual demand of over €1.3bn surpassing expectations.
Swedbank attracted the most demand of any euro benchmark covered bond this year on Wednesday, pricing a EUR1.25bn five year issue at only a modest new issue premium (NIP), and SEB yesterday (Thursday) built upon the template to issue a EUR1.5bn five year at the same level.
Fitch sees potential for upgrades of major Nordic banks in 2016, it said yesterday (Thursday), with SEB and Swedbank leading the positive outlook, although the timing of such rating actions would depend on how successfully sustainable long term performance and conservative credit risk profiles are balanced.
Standard & Poor’s upgraded Swedbank to AA- on Wednesday and revised its outlook on Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) from negative to stable, citing a belief that the Swedish government will still support systemically important banks’ senior creditors in spite of BRRD, but the rating agency also warned of heightened economic risks for Swedish banks.
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) sold an inaugural sterling covered bond yesterday (Thursday), a £250m (Eu353m, Skr3.29bn) three year FRN, and the issuer’s head of treasury management said that it would now look to return to the UK market each year.
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) built a “rock solid” order book for a Eu1bn long seven year covered bond issue on Monday, according to an official at the Swedish issuer, who said the euro market continues to offer more attractive pricing terms and volume access than its domestic market.
Third quarter results of the big four Swedish banks came in below consensus expectations this week, with the impact of persistently low interest rates on net interest income (NII) and weak capital markets cited as contributing to the weaker than expected performance.
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) kicked off Swedish banks’ Q2 results announcements on Tuesday with pre-tax profits of Skr5.3bn (Eu570m) that were 14% ahead of consensus expectations, with strong commission revenues offsetting a fall in net interest income.
Moody’s upgraded six Nordic issuers yesterday (Wednesday) – Danske, DNB, Handelsbanken, Nykredit Realkredit, SEB and Swedbank – citing strong macro profiles, healthy and strengthened core financial ratios and benefits of the introduction of bail-in regimes across the region.