Commerzbank

Rating: Aaa/AA/AAA

A trio of rare issuers found a window for issuance in the FIG bond market on Thursday, with Nykredit and Hamburg Commercial Bank accessing a tightening senior non-preferred market, while Íslandsbanki launched Iceland's first ever sustainable bond

Adidas, the German sportswear company, has signed a €1.5bn loan to replace an emergency facility from KfW signed during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. It has raised €3bn of debt since taking the crisis loan.

Less frequent issuers found a window for issuance in the FIG bond market on Thursday, with Íslandsbanki launching Iceland's first ever sustainable bond and Hamburg Commercial Bank (HCB) focusing on non-preferred senior debt after twice delaying plans for a tier two.

The European Union achieved an impressive result once again on Tuesday, raising €14bn for its Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) funding programme on Tuesday.

The European Financial Stability Facility made a quick and impressive visit to the euro market on Monday, concluding its funding needs for the year, ahead of the European Union’s second outing under its Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) funding programme, which is expected to be priced on Tuesday.

Trainline, the UK train ticket booking company, has warned that there is a risk of a covenant breach on its £350m revolving credit facility, despite lenders already agreeing not to test the covenant until August 2021.

Two public sector borrowers will follow the EU’s record breaking success in the euro market on Wednesday, with Agence Française de Développement looking to sell its debut bond under its new framework tied to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Greece tapping its 2035s.

The dollar market has endured one of its slowest weeks since the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, with just one corporate borrower coming to the market.

Rating: Baa1/A-/A+ (issuer expected)

FIG borrowers may be well funded, but rates are low and market conditions are good enough to support opportunistic issuance — as was shown this week by a slate of deals across the capital structure. Given a volatile end to 2020 is likely, issuers will need to stay alert and take advantage of funding windows as they arise, write Frank Jackman and Bill Thornhill.

Ewe, the German utility, braved a shaky day in the markets on Thursday for its €500m no-grow 12 year bond issue, and still managed a single digit new issue premium.