The buoyant state of the social bond sector was on clear display on Wednesday as two key supranationals – the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and International Finance Corporation – drew nearly US$15bn of investor demand for a landmark pair of US dollar benchmarks that included CABEI’s largest ever issue.
Indonesia contended with rate volatility on Monday on news that the Trump administration had launched a criminal investigation into US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and concerns about its own widening fiscal deficit as it raised US$2.7bn from a three-tranche bond deal.
Heightened shareholder activism is fuelling more frequent bidding wars in Japan’s M&A market, piling pressure on lenders to increase the size of the financings backing the offers.
Oracle has been hit with a class-action lawsuit from investors who allege the cloud computing provider misled them about the amount of debt the company would need to take on to fulfil a US$300bn contract to supply OpenAI during a bond sale last September.
Rising transatlantic tensions over Greenland with threats of new US import tariffs on some European countries subdued the primary corporate bond market on Monday, although bankers suggest supply could pick up again as soon as Tuesday.
Betclic brings non-UK gaming story to high-yield market
French online sports betting company Betclic has launched a debut bond deal, which alongside an already announced €2bn-equivalent term loan B, will go towards funding owner Banijay's acquisition of a majority stake in another gambling company, Tipico.
Andean development bank CAF was the only public sector borrower on Monday as issuers across the board held off deals after US president Donald Trump threatened more tariffs in his pursuit of Greenland.
Safety first in FIG market as ZKB presses on alone
Zuercher Kantonalbank benefited from a risk-off tone and flight to quality amid renewed tariff turbulence on Monday as it sold a highly rated €500m five-year senior unsecured bond.
JP Morgan has formed a new group within investment banking to assist with private capital solutions, expanding on existing efforts and reflecting the continuing trend of companies staying private for longer.
It’s back on! The top investment banks are entering 2026 with the same swagger and enthusiasm they had entering 2025, confident that a multi-year boom cycle in investment banking is underway – and hopeful that not even US president Donald Trump can blow it off course.
No prop, no problem: bank trading revenues hit record high
Global banks’ trading divisions will report their largest ever revenue haul in 2025, surpassing their previous 2009 record after stripping out proprietary trading activities that these firms have long since jettisoned.
Venezuela’s creditors’ path to compensation has become rockier after US president Donald Trump told the Latin American country’s biggest individual creditor, ConocoPhillips, which has an arbitration claim of US$12bn, not to expect a quick resolution.
UBS rebrands ESG advisory team, widens mandate to include AI
UBS has rebranded its ESG advisory team, widening its mandate to include artificial intelligence and other sustainable themes, as the Swiss bank looks to give the team a more "future-focused approach" amid a wider industry rethink around ESG principles.
Safety first in FIG market as ZKB presses on alone
Zuercher Kantonalbank benefited from a risk-off tone and flight to quality amid renewed tariff turbulence on Monday as it sold a highly rated €500m five-year senior unsecured bond.
Andean development bank CAF was the only public sector borrower on Monday as issuers across the board held off deals after US president Donald Trump threatened more tariffs in his pursuit of Greenland.
Rising transatlantic tensions over Greenland with threats of new US import tariffs on some European countries subdued the primary corporate bond market on Monday, although bankers suggest supply could pick up again as soon as Tuesday.
Betclic brings non-UK gaming story to high-yield market
French online sports betting company Betclic has launched a debut bond deal, which alongside an already announced €2bn-equivalent term loan B, will go towards funding owner Banijay's acquisition of a majority stake in another gambling company, Tipico.
France new issue sails through despite no-confidence votes
France issued a €10bn 20-year bond on Wednesday even as the government faced two no-confidence votes in a sign of how much investors have accepted the new, chaotic normal in Paris and the attractive pricing they are getting from OATs as a result.
Increased leveraged buyout activity and the resulting uptick in loan financings should mean another strong year for the US CLO asset class, which some bank analysts predict could see another year of record volume, repeating 2025's performance.
UK RMBS issuance from Santander UK and Vida Bank met a warm reception as investors returned from the holiday break with cash to deploy, driving strong demand and spread-tightening during execution
Solvency II changes could boost demand for CLOs' Triple As
Upcoming changes to the European Union’s Solvency II regime are expected to make the CLO market more attractive to insurers and could support additional demand from asset managers, according to analysts.
Westpac is set to reopen the Australian structured finance market with the indicative A$750m (US$500m) self-led funding-only prime RMBS issue, WST 2026-1, which is expected to be launched and priced in the week of January 19.
The buoyant state of the social bond sector was on clear display on Wednesday as two key supranationals – the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and International Finance Corporation – drew nearly US$15bn of investor demand for a landmark pair of US dollar benchmarks that included CABEI’s largest ever issue.
Morningstar Sustainalytics' exit from SPOs raises questions
The decision by Morningstar Sustainalytics to leave the second-party opinion business for labelled sustainable finance after describing itself as a "recognised market leader" less than a year ago has raised questions about the firm's role and the broader relevance of SPOs.
Rapid developments in nuclear energy in the US and worldwide mean the market could see a broader array of green and conventional financing in 2026 as the sector emerges as the best way to power artificial intelligence.
UBS rebrands ESG advisory team, widens mandate to include AI
UBS has rebranded its ESG advisory team, widening its mandate to include artificial intelligence and other sustainable themes, as the Swiss bank looks to give the team a more "future-focused approach" amid a wider industry rethink around ESG principles.
Turkey is considering issuing a green, social or sustainable bond this year as the country prepares to host the UN-sponsored COP31 climate meeting in November.
Bharat Coking Coal debuts up 96%, triggering hopes of more coal IPOs
State-owned Bharat Coking Coal debuted 96% higher on Monday after completing an all-secondary IPO of Rs10.7bn (US$119m), boosting hopes for more listings from parent Coal India.
CSG locked and loaded as investors line up for jumbo IPO
Defence company Czechoslovak Group on Wednesday launched an IPO of up to €4bn that should complete the industry's transition from ESG pariah to strategic necessity as a broad range of investors prepare to invest.
Heightened shareholder activism is fuelling more frequent bidding wars in Japan’s M&A market, piling pressure on lenders to increase the size of the financings backing the offers.
Hologic rides market demand to blowout syndication
Investors this week piled into the debt backing the US$18.3bn purchase of diagnostic and medical imaging company Hologic by Blackstone and TPG after a dearth of merger and acquisition loans have left managers hungry for paper, a positive sign for an asset class betting on a pickup in buyouts this year.
Solvency II changes could boost demand for CLOs' Triple As
Upcoming changes to the European Union’s Solvency II regime are expected to make the CLO market more attractive to insurers and could support additional demand from asset managers, according to analysts.
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