European corporate bonds ended Tuesday with a slightly softer tone with the main focus on the primary market where several new bonds were due, among them a 1 billion sterling 31-year issue from US retailer Wal-Mart.
The FTSE Euro Corporate Bond Index showed investment-grade corporate bonds in euros yielding an average 44.7 basis points more than similarly dated government bonds at 1600 GMT, 0.3 basis points more on the day.
Traders said the market was subdued, with prices little changed other than in bonds with long maturities.
"Long-dated telecom bonds are a tad weaker as are long-dated auto bonds," said a trader. "That's where the attention is but it's very quiet."
General Motors' 8.375 percent euro bond due in June 2033 was two basis points wider at 269 over government bonds, a trader said.
The cost of credit protection for UK cigarette maker British American Tobacco Plc moved five basis points wider on the day to 79 basis points in sympathy with US tobacco giant Altria whose credit derivatives widened overnight. The $280 billion Department of Justice case against the tobacco industry - the biggest and most ambitious racketeering case in history - started in the US on Tuesday.
Credit protection for French retailer Casino also widened a couple of basis points to 59 basis points on news its owner, French holding company Rallye, plans a 7-year 300 million euro bond, said a trader.
Rallye plans to sell the bond later this week offering investors a yield of 190 to 195 basis points over mid-swaps, a banking source said.
Credit protection for two large UK retailers, Tesco and Marks & Spencer was unchanged although the former published shining first-half profits well above market expectations and the latter disappointed with slumping 10-week sales.
Tesco credit derivatives, already trading at tight levels, were unchanged at around 15 basis points while M&S CDS were flat at 100 basis points, a trader said. The prices mean it costs 15,000 euros a year to insure 10 million of Tesco debt against default, but 1 percent of the insured sum for M&S.
In the primary market retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has increased the size of its planned 31-year bond to 1 billion pounds and lowered the yield it intends to offer, market sources said.
The bond is now expected to yield 79 basis points over the UK Gilt due 2036, the sources said, from initial guidance of 80 to 82 basis points over.
The deal has been increased in size from a planned 500 to 750 million pounds. Pricing is expected on Wednesday.
US grain and oil trader Cargill Inc. sold its debut 500 million euro 10-year bond on Tuesday, lead managers for the deal said.
The bond pays a coupon of 4.5 percent and was priced at 99.558 percent of face value to give a yield of 43 basis points over mid-swaps. The lead managers trimmed price guidance to 43-45 basis points over swaps earlier on Tuesday from an initial spread range of 45-50 basis points over swaps.
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