Portugal

Santander Totta took advantage of the paucity of peripheral 10 year covered bond supply, a Portuguese sovereign rating upgrade and buoyant credit conditions to issue a well received €1bn transaction on Tuesday. Meanwhile, PKO Bank signalled its intention to open books soon.

Liability management exercises are becoming de rigeur among Europe's capital-strapped banks, as market participants face up to a world in which regulators have the power to step in early and impose heavy losses on bondholders. Tyler Davies reports.

Moody’s has extended its review of Novo Banco’s senior debt ratings after the Portuguese bridge bank published details of its liability management exercise (LME) this week, warning that bondholder could suffer higher losses than the ratings agency initially expected.

Novo Banco has published the terms of a long-awaited liability management exercise, unexpectedly shifting its emphasis away from generating immediate capital gains.

Panda bonds are finally coming back to life after a dire first half. But although all the conditions are in place for an issuance boom, there is reason to doubt quite how high volumes will go.

The European Commission said on Monday that private equity firm Lone Star Fund’s planned acquisition of Novo Banco, the Portuguese financial institution, was in line with the European Union’s merger regulations.

The governor of People’s Bank of China says Chinese banks must face international competition, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) considers changes in Stock Connect daily trading quotas after MSCI’s A-share inclusion, and the Hong Kong Exchange plans to launch CNH and dollar gold futures on July 10.

It won the Euros, it won Eurovision – now it is time to win back its lost investment grades.

The triumphant return of Banco Comercial Português to the covered bond market this week after an eight year absence marks a turning point, not just for the bank but the Obrigações Hipotecárias market as a whole.

The primary covered bond market is expected to be active next week with four or five deals potenitially surfacing, in addition to the five being actively marketed. But non-eurozone bonds are being better offered, and the global interest rate outlook is becoming less accommodative.

Another year, another ISDA conference. But this wasn’t just any other year. With variation margin requirements in the rearview mirror, MiFID II looming in 2018 and the question of London euro clearing troubling many, the trade body had a lot of questions to tackle in just two packed days of panels and speeches.

Rabobank plans to roadshow its debut covered bond next week, while Banco Comercial Portugues will begin marketing a deal after an eight year absence. And after publishing an offering circular this week, Bank Queensland (BOQ) is expected to announce its first deal soon.