DNB Bank

DNB successfully issued a Swedish krona covered bond on Thursday in a size large enough to qualify for the best treatment under the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) and at a more competitive funding level than was available elsewhere. The deal emerges in the wake of a report from Moody’s which highlighted the strength of the Swedish covered bond market.

Scope for Nordic covered bond issuance in euros is moderately positive, even in Sweden where some issuers could yet make a strategic return to euros despite the higher cost. Danes and Norwegians may also make an appearance in euros, but Finnish supply hopes are considered more limited.

One of the more unusual green bonds of 2019, the $125m high yield issue for Teekay Shuttle Tankers, which operates ships serving the offshore oil industry, was tapped on Friday for $75m under the company's new name of Altera Shuttle Tankers.

Borregaard, the Norwegian paper and chemicals company, has signed sustainability-linked credit facilities totalling Nkr1.5bn (€140m), days after Klaveness brought the loan structure to Norway’s shipping industry.

DNB entered 2020 better capitalised than ever, and having taken the opportunity to get ahead with its regulatory funding at the end of last year, it was also better financed than ever. Even so, following the regulator's decision to delay implementation of MREL target by one year, DNB could return to the covered bond market in the latter half of 2020.

Sweden’s Volvo Car, a car maker, has become the latest company under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic to sign a state-guaranteed loan, as bankers say that state support is essential to secure commercial bank loans for the worst affected sectors.

Norway’s debut syndicated tap went off with a bang on Tuesday, attracting a bumper Nkr37bn ($3.7bn) order book. The deal’s success was driven in part by increased demand from foreign investors for Norwegian govvies.

High grade corporates poured into the primary market on Monday, with sentiment noticeably higher as the first trial for a Covid-19 vaccine in the US and easing of lockdown restrictions in Europe cheered markets.

The Kingdom of Norway is set to sell its first ever syndicated tap. The sovereign hit screens on Monday with initial price thoughts for the reopening of a 10 year Norwegian krone bond.

The oil price slump on Monday spelt trouble for issuers in the already underperforming Norwegian krone bond market. Amid this turbulence, state-owned Norwegian airport operator Avinor flew in on Wednesday to print a Nkr2bn ($187.8m) dual floating and fixed tranche deal.

Europe’s high grade corporate bond market faced one of its biggest tests on Wednesday, with France’s Auchan, which operates in the heavily disrupted retail sector, getting a deal away with one of the larger new issue concessions seen in recent weeks.

The World Bank followed up Wednesday’s record breaking dollar deal with another one for the record books on Thursday, scooping up Skr11.5bn ($1.2bn) in the Swedish krona market to combat the coronavirus pandemic.