Thus far, 2012 has witnessed a marked trend of corporates eschewing bank lending and turning instead to the debt capital markets. By acting quickly, the DCM team at SGCIB has put itself at the forefront of many of these deals.
Western Europe
Latest articles from France
Eiffarie motors on with APRR bond issue
January 3, 2012When the Macquarie and Eiffage consortium, Eiffarie, won a controlling stake in APRR, the highly leveraged French motorway company, Eiffarie knew it needed to gain quick access to the market to refinance APRR's loans. Eiffarie's team established a €6bn euro medium term note programme, and then in mid-November 2011 decided to return to the market with a €500m four-year deal to help repay its outstanding acquisition loan. The result defied even the most optimistic expectations.
Remaking the eurozone
January 3, 2012Keeping Greece in and allowing massive European Central Bank intervention are the best ingredients for saving the eurozone. But the case for common eurozone bonds is less clear.
Strong domestic network helps Crédit Agricole during crisis
October 3, 2011French giant Crédit Agricole has been buffeted by speculation surrounding the fate of the eurozone, but CEO Jean-Paul Chifflet explains how the right combination of international expansion and domestic branch network has kept the bank well positioned.
Sanofi Aventis defies global turmoil to close $20bn takeover of Genzyme
June 1, 2011The caution in the markets following the tsunami in Japan and unrest in north Africa provided an unpromising backdrop to French company Sanofi Aventis's $20bn takeover of US biotech firm Genzyme. However, the deal passed off as a resounding success.
France and Canada target Islamic markets
November 24, 2010Many countries are bidding to build Islamic finance hubs; France and Canada are no exception, but each is taking a very different course.
Christine Lagarde - Interview
December 23, 2009The no-nonsense style of France’s finance minister has won her many admirers. She tells The Banker of how she intends to tackle the hardest task of her tenure, that of regulating France and Europe’s post-crisis banking landscape. Writer Silvia Pavoni
BNP Paribas' Alain Papiasse on the difference an acquisition can make
November 27, 2009BNP Paribas' acquisition of Fortis has considerably increased the size of the bank's Corporate & Investment Banking arm's balance sheet. The French bank says now is the time to use it to win advisory business.
A little fine tuning
June 4, 2009Although France's banking sector has been dealt a few blows during the past two years, its retail sector remains strong compared with its European peers. Writer Wendy Atkins
The future of French banking
February 2, 2009Are French banks in a stronger position than others to weather the economic crisis? Probably yes, as their model, which is more stable and highly diversified, differs appreciably from that of other international players.
