French capital markets: The quiet birth of a new jumbo issuer

The French government has found a novel way of paying off its social security debt - a bond issue that will be paid for out of an earmarked tax. It's not exactly state-backed but there is an implicit guarantee. It may prove popular when investors get a clearer idea of the details. Daniel Evans reports.

Cades. Heard of it? You will have soon. By the middle of this year, Cades is set to become one of the biggest French issuers of international bonds. “It’s going to be the best credit in France after the government,” reckons Arnaud Gremont, an executive director at Morgan Stanley.

For an organization that plans to raise up to Ffr140 billion ($27 billion) in syndicated loans and bonds this year, Cades has a remarkably low profile. Standard & Poor’s has no rating for it; Moody’s has never heard of it.

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