After a desperate 2011, 2012 got off to a flying start in the sovereign, supranational and agency arena, with successful issues being placed left, right and centre, most notably in euros and sterling. All of this has meant a busy couple of months of HSBC's debt capital markets team.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia's €1.5bn five-year issue was the third and comfortably the most successful Australian transaction since the country passed supportive legislation for covered bonds in late 2011. Joint bookrunner on the deal, BNP Paribas, put its success down to timing and the choice of currency.