Bond

African Development Bank (AfDB), rated Aaa (Stable) / AAA (Stable) / AAA (Stable (Moody’s / Fitch / S&P), successfully priced a NZD 100 million 5-year Kauri benchmark due 27th August 2019 through TD Securities. The notes pay a coupon of 4.50% and marks the first Kauri from the AfDB since February 2008.

Since the start of the year, yields for the 10-year TNote and Gilt have been more or less the same. At the same time, the yield spread between Bund and its UK and US counterparts has widened by 100bp, and is now not far off 150bp.

Nomura Bank International plc (the “Issuer”) today announced that it has issued US$325 million in principal amount of 30 Year USD Callable Zero Coupon Notes due 2044 (the “Notes”). The Notes were issued out of the Issuer’s Note, Warrant and Certificate Programme and are guaranteed by Nomura Holdings, Inc.

In accordance with the Right Upon Future Offers or RUFO clause (similar to a conventional clause requiring creditors to be treated pari passu) contained in the 2005 agreement on the restructuring of the debt of the exchange bondholders (preventing Argentina from making more favourable repayments to holdouts unless the conditions are the same as for exchange bondholders), the funds paid by Argentina were not handed over to the creditors.

During the initial phase of the turnaround in high-risk American assets, equities and high yield moved very similarly. In contrast, since mid-2012, equities have been accelerating more quickly, outpacing the credit market by a decent margin.