Bankers' bags might be prepped for the Bank Holiday weekend — though latest weather reports predict washouts in several parts of the UK — but we’ve had the strongest week in the European high yield market since October 2021, with €7.9bn expected this week alone (if everything launched and scheduled was completed — see below), according to 9fin data.

Overall, the first few weeks of Q2 have brought a spike in junk borrowing activity, with €21.9bn of high yield notes issued in the period versus €24bn in the whole of Q1, 9fin data shows.

“Technicals in the HY market are currently very strong,” a senior banker told 9fin. “Low spreads for issuers, high yields for investors — it’s the perfect environment.”

9fin covered the latest high yield wave in a report that you can read here.