A sharp drop in credit markets in late 2018 made many wonder whether the fat years are coming at an end. Kat Van Hoof reports.

Capital securities issuance declined in 2018 as investors sought refuge in safer instruments. But the turn of the year has seen a revival in appetite, and the team at HSBC has been one of the leading bookrunners.

In early 2019, the state of Israel conducted its largest ever international deal. Joint lead manager Barclays utilised its long-standing history in the country to help make the deal a success.

UBS’s head of investment banking and capital markets for EMEA talks to Kat Van Hoof about ramping up investment beyond the bank’s traditional strongholds.

Netherlands-based Takeaway.com has been on an acquisition spree around Europe. The Banker looks at its use of the debt and equity markets to finance this activity.

One year since MiFID II came into force, it has become clearer where some of the chips will fall. Meanwhile, the market has its hands full with some of the short-term fallout, as Kat Van Hoof describes.

UK utility company Thames Water chose BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking to steer its positive incentive loan, the first such loan awarded to a UK business. By Edward Russell-Walling

Dutch utility company Gasunie used its strong credit rating as a springboard to returning to the market with €300m bond issue in collaboration with ING, ABN Amro and Rabobank. David Wigan reports.