Loans and High Yield

China Aoyuan Group’s attempt to woo investors to its $200m bond with a generous yield fell flat on Tuesday. Recent concerns about the property developer’s leverage, and the subsequent fall of its dollar bonds in the aftermarket, held investors back from the new deal — and caused a further spiral in secondary. Morgan Davis reports.

Frozen food supplier Nomad Foods has launched the bond leg of the financing for its acquisition of central and eastern European peer Fortenova, having priced the loan part earlier this month.

Vietnam’s SSI Securities Corp has returned to the loan market, just six months after its last deal.

Spanish car parts maker Antolin is looking to sell €390m of seven year notes, in a bid to refinance its bonds due 2024 early.

Nobian, the industrial chemicals unit of Nouryon, launched the debt package for its spinout on Friday, offering up a €1.19bn ESG-linked five year term loan 'B' through Credit Suisse, HSBC and JP Morgan. This will be followed by a bond deal, which is yet to be announced, to complete the €1.615bn senior secured financing.

Chinese local government financing vehicle Ganzhou Jiankong Investment Holding Group Co sold a $270m bond on Thursday.

Bank of America has set up an EMEA ESG strategic council chaired and led by three senior investment bankers, to intensify its effort to reduce its carbon footprint and manage its climate risks. BofA made a net zero commitment in February but has not yet set out its decarbonisation trajectory.

The UK has begun the process of creating its own versions of the European Union’s sustainable finance regulations, by picking a Green Technical Advisory Group to help it draft a green taxonomy. It will face two conflicting priorities: to maximise harmonisation by staying close to EU rules; and to depart from them, for a variety of reasons including the possibility of improving on the EU’s approach.

Two former investment managers at Aberdeen Standard have launched a firm called Bread Street Capital Partners, with the aim of creating a series of listed private markets funds to broaden access to the funds of top tier financial sponsors. The firm also aims to capture more investment from UK defined contribution pension schemes, which have historically had tiny allocations to private equity compared with some of their international peers.

Beauty company Coty took out more of its bank debt with a secured bond this week, increasing its deal size from €500m to €700m and pushing through the 4% yield barrier to land the new issue at 3.875%. The Caa1/B- rated company has struggled to turn its business around and still has negative free cash flow, but a new management team, a new plan and a senior spot in the capital structure helped enthuse investors to buy the new bonds.

Nursing home and elderly care company Colisée, which EQT Infrastructure acquired last year, was in the market on Thursday, looking to reprice the €875m acquisition facility and add-on a further €150m to pay down its revolver.

Chinese property company Evergrande Group’s dollar bonds have plummeted in the secondary market, following news that regulators are scrutinising the borrower. The effect has been far-reaching — dampening sentiment for other high yield real estate bonds and putting both investment bankers and investors on guard. Morgan Davis reports.