Canada

The Riksbank, Sweden’s central bank, is adding a “negative screening” process to its purchases of corporate bonds under its quantitative easing programme, meaning it will no longer buy the bonds of the most polluting companies.

Ontario Teachers’ Finance Trust hit the market on Thursday for the issuer’s first ever green bond — a €750m no-grow 10 year, for which it received an overwhelming response, causing a 7bp tightening.

HSBC Canada plans to issue its inaugural deal in euros and though the bond is not expected until next year at the earliest, there is a possibility that other Canadian banks could pre-fund before Christmas if strong market conditions last.

Ontario Teachers’ Finance Trust (OTFT) is preparing to issue its inaugural green bond under its new framework aligned to the International Capital Market Association’s Green Bond Principles.

An ESG think tank believes that the European Central Bank should drop Alberta’s euro bonds from its list of eligible marketable assets, as a punishment for its support for polluting industries. But while it is a laudable aim, it is not practicable.

Bankers are confident that Canadian covered bond issuance will resume after the Bank of Canada withdrew the repo eligibility of retained covered bonds, while honouring existing repo deals. But bankers are split as to whether supply will restart this year or be deferred until next year.

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, October 26. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services.

Italy and the Province of Québec will add to the euro public sector supply on Thursday, hoping to capitalise on the strong momentum in the currency following the European Union’s record order book earlier in the week.

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, October 12. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services

Two borrowers visited the long end of the dollar curve this week and while both completed their deals successfully, investors clearly displayed more appetite for the higher yielding of the pair.

Fédération des Caisses Desjardins du Québec (CCDJ) issued the first Canadian covered bond in dollars since May on Wednesday flat to where the major Canadian banks issue senior unsecured debt.

Asian Development Bank and the Province of Ontario hit the dollar market on Tuesday, with both issuers tapping the tricky 10 year part of the curve ahead of the start of public holidays in Asia this week which will put a pause on issuance in the currency.