CIBC back for covered bonds
While Kangaroo bond issuance by supranational agencies have been absent for the second straight week, Canada's CIBC has been emboldened enough to launch a covered bond issue. This is despite uncertainty over what kind of demand it will attract following APRA's liquid assets rule.The bank plans A$500 million of five-year covered bonds, which have an indicative pricing of 74 basis points over semi-quarterly swaps. Last year, CIBC issued three-year covered bonds at 48 basis points over swap and raised $750 million.In other Kangaroos, JP Morgan Chase raised A$600 million via five-year fixed and floating rate bonds at a spread of 135 basis points over swap.The largest bond issuance so far this week came from Commonwealth Bank, which is taking advantage of rising demand in the US private placement market. The bank raised US$3 billion via three tranches. Tranche one was for $1.6 billion, with a three-year maturity paying a spread of 73 basis points over three-month Libor. Tranche two was for $700 million, at a spread of 98 basis points over Treasuries and for a term of three years. The balance, of $700 million, was for a five-year term at a spread of 118 basis points over Treasuries.