Austria

DNB Boligkreditt and Sparebank 1 Boligkreditt (Spabol) issued deals flat to their curves with strong demand this week, while Bawag brought the first Austrian transaction through mid-swaps in almost three years.

Bawag became the first Austrian issuer to price a covered bond through mid-swaps since June 2018 on Tuesday when it issued a benchmark 10 year that attracted strong initial order momentum and an exceptionally granular order book. At the same time Austria’s Covered Bond Act consultation came to an end, suggesting the new legal framework will soon be enacted.

Erste Group Bank is lining up its first sustainability bond, as it looks to take advantage of a quiet period for new issuance and a recent back-up in rates.

Swiss-Austrian company Montana Aerospace has embarked on a virtual roadshow after launching an IPO on Friday. Sources close to the transaction are in high spirits after the first few days of education and hopeful for a strong result after nabbing two cornerstone orders.

Trading levels given are bid-side spreads versus mid-swaps and/or an underlying benchmark and bid-yields from the close of business on Monday, April 19. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services.

Rating: Aa1/AA+/AA+

Austria took centre stage in the euro sovereign bond market this week with the sale of its first ever four year benchmark alongside a new 50 year deal to complete its curve.

A pair of European sovereigns hit the market on Tuesday, raising a combined €12.5bn. Austria launched a four and 50 year dual tranche, but it was the short leg that raised eyebrows, demonstrating demand exists even below the ECB deposit rate.

Slovakian lender Tatra Banka is hoping to launch its debut green bond in euros this week, with deal arrangers urging rare issuers to take advantage of quieter markets in the run-up to results season.

This week's funding scorecard looks at the progress Europe's supranationals and agencies have made in their funding programmes at the end of March.

Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (OeKB) debuted its sustainability framework in Norwegian kroner this week. With dollar swap spreads compressed, opportunities are opening for competitive funding in other, more niche markets.

Mounting concerns over rising rates resulted in a fair degree of price sensitivity for a rare 20 year covered bond issued on Tuesday by Bawag, the Austrian lender. But with a little new issue premium, demand was still good.