Bank bond spreads may have peaked
Commonwealth Bank (rated AA-) and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (rated A-) provided the issuance highlights in the domestic corporate bond market last week.CBA completed its second benchmark-sized issue for the year, selling A$2 billion of 3.25 year floating-rate notes, priced at 98 basis points over bank bills. This is exactly the same pricing achieved by National Australia Bank in February, when it sold $2.25 billion of three-year FRNs.The identical pricing achieved by the CBA with a term to maturity that is a quarter of a year longer, provides the first evidence that credit spreads may be starting to contract.Bendigo and Adelaide completed its own benchmark-sized issue when it sold $650 million of five-year FRNs. The issue was priced at 146 bps over bank bills, which compares favourably with the 138 bps paid for five-year funds by Suncorp-Metway (rated A+) the week before.Nevertheless, Bendigo commented on the increasing cost of wholesale funding and said that its program for the year was now complete.The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (rated AAA) and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (rated AA-) also opened new lines during the week. IBRD sold $150 million of October 2026 bonds, priced at commonwealth government securities plus 58 bps, and CIBC sold $400 million of five-year covered FRNs (AAA rated), priced at 110 bps over bank bills.IBRD was also prominent among issuers tapping existing lines both here and in New Zealand, as was Kommunalbanken (rated AAA). IBRD added $550 million to its January 2021 line and NZ$600 million to its equivalent line in New Zealand. The Australian tap was priced at 56.75 bps over CGS and the New Zealand tap at 66.3 bps over New Zealand government bonds. The size of each line now stands at A$1.1 billion and NZ$1.15 billion, respectively.Kommunalbanken added $30 million to its July 2025 line and NZ$100 million to its May 2021 line. Kommunalbanken's Australian tap takes the total outstanding to $1.045 billion and the New Zealand line now stands at NZ$450 million. The latter was priced at 64 bps over mid-swaps. NAB (rated AA-) added $100 million to its February 2019 FRN line, taking the total outstanding to $2.35 billion.The Sydney branch of Royal Bank of Canada (rated AA-) added $35 million to its June 2026 line - its second tap in less than a week. The increase was priced at 130 bps over swap, as it was the week before, and the line now sits at $345 million.L-Bank (rated AAA) and Corporacion Andina de Fomento (rated AA-) also tapped existing lines.L-Bank added $70 million to its August 2026 line, paying a margin of 69 bps over CGS and taking the size of the line to $130 million. CAF added $80 million to its September 2026 line, paying a margin of 180 bps over CGS and taking the size of the line to $190 million.?In New Zealand, Chorus Limited (rated BBB) is raising NZ$400 million for five years, with the coupon at 4.12 per cent. The offer is now open and