CaixaBank issues 1,000 million euros in its first green bond of the year

• The issue, which matures in 7 years, saw a demand in excess of 1,700 million euros.
• Thanks to the high demand, the initial interest rate was able to be lowered by 20 basis points (bp), to a mid-swap of +155 bp.
• This is the fifth green bond issued by CaixaBank.

Today, CaixaBank closed its fourth bond issue of 2022, and the first senior preferred green bond this year, placing €1 billion over 7 years.

The price was set at 155 basis points (bp) over mid-swap, 20bp below the 175bp offered in the announcement, due to the high demand, which exceeded €1.7 billion. Nearly 80 corporate investors purchased the issue. The coupon was set at 3.75%.

The companies overseeing the placement were Bank of America, CaixaBank, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and UBS.

Through this issue, CaixaBank will channel funds to finance eligible environmental projects under the framework of the bond issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of CaixaBank; specifically, to promote SDG number 7, on affordable and clean energy, and 9, on industry, innovation and infrastructures, which seeks to achieve resilient infrastructure, sustainable industrialisation and to promote innovation.

As a result, and by adhering to the strict selection criteria, as per the bank's Environmental Risks policy, on 30 June 2022, CaixaBank identified more than €7.6 billion of eligible environmental assets. Out of this, €6.5 billion were assets that finance renewable energy projects, and €1,1 billion corresponded to real estate assets with an energy efficiency rating of A or B.

CaixaBank's fifth green bond

Today's issue is CaixaBank's fifth green bond. In 2021, the company issued three green bonds: two for £1 billion and one for £500 million. CaixaBank issued its first green bond in November 2020, in an operation that also secured €1 billion euros.

In August 2019, CaixaBank approved the bond issuance framework linked to the SDG, with the validation of Sustainalytics, underpinning the mission of supporting the United Nations SDGs. Since the approval of the aforementioned framework, CaixaBank has issued nine of its own bonds (five green and four social) valued at €8 billion and £500 million, solidifying its standing as a leading issuer of ESG bonds.