The coronavirus outbreak is a social issue that threatens the well-being of the world's population. With ther ICMA Social Bond Principles published in 2017, the past few years has seen the bond market develop products that address social issues, with $59 billion issued to date. It therefore stands ready to support the financing of projects aimed at addressing the Covid-19 threat.

Dividends have gone into lockdown. As the world attempts to control the spread of coronavirus, companies are slashing or foregoing their dividends globally in an effort to shore up their capital. In Europe, the European Central Bank (ECB) has taken it a step further, ordering banks to pause all dividends...

The African Development Bank (AAA) has raised an exceptional $3 billion in a three-year bond to help alleviate the economic and social impact the Covid-19 pandemic will have on livelihoods and Africa's economies.

The operating environment for European banks will be challenging, but resolution and senior debt bail-in are extremely unlikely. Banks will have to be a key piece of the puzzle as authorities seek to minimise long-term economic loss.

The current Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak will likely trigger payouts for $132.5 million in pandemic catastrophe bonds sponsored by the World Bank Group's (WBG) Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF). This funding will be channelled to eligible countries to mitigate the impact of the outbreak and might validate the need for market-based mechanisms to deal with pandemics.