ING Direct prices RMBS close to major banks
ING Direct has been able to price its latest issue of residential mortgage-backed securities at margins close to what the major banks are paying.The bank increased the size of the transaction, IDOL 2014-1 Trust, from A$500 million offered at the launch of the deal, to $1.25 billion.Pricing on the $1.15 billion of A notes, which have a weighted average life of 2.8 years, was 83 basis points over the one-month bank bill swap rate.Pricing on the $75 million of AB notes, which have a weighted average life of 5.6 years, was 145 bps over swap. Pricing on the $25 million B tranche was not disclosed.Last week, Westpac paid 78 bps over swap on the $2.3 billion top tranche of its WST 2014-1 Trust issue.ING Direct Treasurer Michael Witts said in a statement that 36 investors participated in the transaction, with a third of them overseas. It was the largest number of investors ever for an IDOL transaction.