SEB priced a $1.5bn (Eu1.09, Skr9.63bn) five year senior unsecured issue on Tuesday, with an official at the issuer noting a very strong response in terms of the volume and quality of demand.

Swedbank on Monday priced a Eu750m (Skr6.64bn) five year senior unsecured transaction in its third visit to the benchmark debt capital markets this year, and, at 52bp over, the deal was the tightest five year senior unsecured euro benchmark to date in 2014.

Tight spreads tempted SEB to bring forward Q1 2014 issuance plans and launch a Eu1bn seven year covered bond benchmark on Monday, the bank’s head of treasury management told Nordic FIs & Covered.

Stadshypotek priced a Eu1bn seven year covered bond yesterday (Wednesday) to kickstart what could be a series of Nordic FIG deals in euros as issuers from the region emerge from blackouts and face enticing spreads and cross-currency levels.

A proposal by Sweden’s FSA to oblige lenders to suggest mortgage loan amortisation plans to some borrowers could, if implemented, lead to increased paydown rates and eventually a possible decrease in target OC in some Swedish covered bond programmes, according to Standard & Poor’s.

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) sold a Eu750m (Skr6.51bn) five-and-a-half year senior unsecured bond on Tuesday, taking advantage of an improvement in market conditions to launch an opportunistic trade, an official at the Swedish bank told Nordic FIs & Covered.

Sweden’s Skandiabanken plans to issue its first covered bond at the end of the month after having turned to the asset class as part of its plans to use the capital markets to diversify its funding sources and support the banks’ growth ambitions, an official told The Covered Bond Report.

We spoke to SBAB head of investor relations Louise Bergström after the launch of its recent senior unsecured benchmark, and discussed the issuer’s overall funding plans with respect to ALM, covered bonds and regulation.

Sweden’s SBAB launched a Eu750m seven year senior unsecured transaction last Thursday (29 August) and an official at the issuer said it contributes to the bank’s goal of extending its maturity profile and was timed to take advantage of strong market momentum.

Proposals that include the possible break-up of universal banks into separate retail and investment banking entities were rejected by the Swedish authorities in their response to the Liikanen Report on Tuesday.