BOQ is first triple-B guaranteed issuer in Australia
Demand for Australian government guaranteed bonds continued on January 20 as Bank of Queensland (BBB+/A2/BBB) (BOQ) became the first triple-B rated issuer to price a deal under the sovereign scheme, bringing A$500 million (US$331.15 million) of 2011 paper to its home market.
Aussie banks hit up US and domestic markets in guaranteed bonanza
Australian banks had by January 14 conducted the equivalent of over US$30 billion in term borrowing under the conditions of their government's guarantee scheme since the first such deals were brought to market in early December 2008.
Guaranteed feeding frenzy continues on- and offshore
ANZ Banking Group (ANZ) closed a busy week for Australia's biggest bank borrowers with a A$3.25 billion (US$2.3 billion) domestic transaction on January 9. With both National Australia Bank (NAB) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank) issuing large US dollar transactions in the same week, Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac) is now the only big four Australian bank not to have issued both on- and offshore under government guarantee.
Westpac makes key appointments in credit trading
Westpac Institutional Bank (Westpac)’s strategic decision to separate its rates and credit operations has led to a number of changes in its credit trading business in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, including a brace of new hires.RBS is first non-Australian issuer under local guarantee [UPDATED]
Royal Bank of Scotland Australia Branch (AA-/Aa1/AA-) (RBS) became the first issuer with a non-Australian parent to bring a bond transaction covered by the Australian government guarantee with one of the three tranches it priced on December 19.