France

UnipolSai Assicurazioni was nearly three times subscribed for a restricted tier one (RT1) this week — the first of its kind in Italy. An attractive coupon helped to offset any concerns about Italian sovereign risk or a lack of liquidity in the RT1 market.

Getlink, the company that operates the Channel Tunnel, is preparing a €700m high yield green bond to refinance its 2023 bonds and raise cash for capex, including finishing off a landmark electricity connection between the UK and France. The refi comes after it negotiated waivers on the covenants in its term loan to deal with the impact of the pandemic.

Compagnie de Financement Foncier (CFF) was able to raise €500m of 15 year funding flat to its curve on Monday. But, in anticipation of the EU's 10 and 20 year dual tranche mandate, announced the same morning, investors of the first negative yielding 15 year covered bond showed a degree of price sensitivity.

It was a moderate week for supply in the primary euro public sector bond market but the issuers that did come found ample demand, setting up a decent backdrop for the expected arrival of the European Union’s big borrowing programme next week.

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) took advantage of a strong market on Wednesday to issue its first ever benchmark transaction for pre-funding purposes.

Caisse d’Amortissement de la Dette Sociale (Cades) will add a new point on its dollar social bond curve with a 10 year trade on Wednesday, where it will be joined by two other public sector issuers in the currency.

KfW and Ville de Paris grabbed the attention of investors at the opposite ends of the euro curve on Tuesday in what has been a thin week for issuance in the currency by public sector borrowers ahead of the expected arrival of the EU’s first syndicated bond under its Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) funding programme next 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

Agence Française de Développement has unveiled a new broader thematic bond framework tied to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which will allow it to issue social and sustainable bonds alongside its existing green bonds.

Caffil attracted robust demand for its fifth covered bond this year on Monday, thanks to the positive yield on offer at the unusual 15 year maturity. But with a wave of cheap European Union 15 year supply expected to surface before long, other issuers may try to follow Caffil's lead and jump in ahead.

Unédic will follow up this week’s eight year social bond with another two social bonds to wrap up its 2020 state guaranteed funding programme.

This week's funding scorecard looks at the progress French agencies have made in their funding programmes in early October.