QTC reveals A$8 billion funding requirement for 2018/19
On 13 June, following the release of the Queensland state budget the day before, Queensland Treasury Corporation (QTC) revealed a A$8 billion (US$6.1 billion) borrowing requirement for the 2018/19 financial year. This is approximately A$1.8 billion less than the forecast given in the 2017/18 borrowing programme.
Japanese investors the focus for Firstmac’s latest RMBS deal
Firstmac printed its second residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) transaction of 2018, Firstmac Mortgage Funding Trust No. 4 Series 2-2018 (Firstmac 2-2018), on 8 June. The A$1 billion (US$760.6 million) deal was led by ANZ and J.P. Morgan. The transaction was predominantly placed with Japanese investors according to James Austin, chief financial officer at Firstmac in Brisbane, who spoke to KangaNews shortly after the deal priced.
Housing NZ hits the sweet spot in domestic return
Housing New Zealand (Housing NZ) returned to the New Zealand debt capital market for the first time since 1999 with a NZ$500 million (US$351.2 million) dual-tranche transaction on 1 June. Deal sources suggest the addition of another high-grade issuer in the New Zealand dollar market is a boon for market development, particularly due to the nature of the institution and its intent to be a repeat issuer.
EIB finds substantial demand at long end of the Kangaroo curve
After a prolific start to 2018, long-end Kangaroo issuance from supranational, sovereign and agency (SSA) issuers has tailed off significantly in recent months, with sizeable transactional volumes seen through the first months of the year reverting back to the small- and medium-sized deals which have previously characterised the market. European Investment Bank (EIB)’s recent deal bucks this trend.
Green mortgages and the future of sustainable funding
The key to unlocking a new level of green issuance in the Australian bond market could be a deeper understanding of the assets on banks’ balance sheets. Institutional assets lend themselves to classification and verification, while the potential of SME and household loans remains almost untapped.