Denmark

Nykredit tapped its 1% callable covered bond due 2050 on Wednesday to take it up to Dkr100bn (€13.4bn), making it the biggest long-dated covered bond ever publicly issued in Europe and highlighting the availability of long-dated funding for banks looking for alternatives to the glut of central bank liquidity made available to fight the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Euro area banks have increased their reliance on preferred senior funding during the coronavirus crisis, fuelling speculation that some lenders may be expecting a softening of their minimum requirements for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL).

This week's scorecard looks at the progress Nordic agencies have made in their 2020 funding programmes in early May.

Issuance in the financial institutions bond market had a preferred senior flavour this week, with issuers finding this the most cost-effective funding compared with other asset classes. In addition, some of them can use it to fulfil regulatory requirements.

Rating: A2/A+/A

The Danish covered bond market is expected to maintain its exemplary performance with smooth execution likely in the quarterly auctions due to commence next week, a local banker told GlobalCapital on Wednesday.

Danske Bank was marketing a preferred senior bond on Tuesday, taking swift advantage of recent changes in Denmark that will allow banks to use these instruments to count towards their regulatory debt requirements.

Pandora, the Danish jewellery manufacturer, has raised Dkr1.8bn ($176m) through an accelerated placing of 8m treasury shares on Tuesday, to give it funds to withstand the damage to its business caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The company had recently repurchased the shares used in the placing through a buy-back scheme.

The Danish Financial Services Authority is softening its application of the minimum requirements for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) amid Covid-19, meaning the country’s largest banks could end up issuing half as much senior debt this year as might have been expected.

SEB is creating a new sustainable finance unit to broaden its offering across the whole bank, and is building a team including country heads — the first of which is Lars Eibeholm, who will join the bank from the Nordic Investment Bank in the summer.

Danish agency KommuneKredit made one of its infrequent visits to the Swedish kronor market on Wednesday. With many issuers preferring the short end of the market due to volatility from the coronavirus pandemic, the agency instead opted to tap a pocket of demand at the long end of the curve.

Svenska Handelsbanken was the only financial institution to issue senior debt in euros this week. The issuance came at a time Swedish banks have been granted an extension of two years to comply with regulatory targets for MREL debt, which might make a short-term dent in issuance.