Nasdaq Sees Its European Debt Market Grow by 8% in 2020

​Nasdaq announced that its European Debt Market grew by 8 percent in 2020, fueled by continued interest to list Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programs and strong demand for ESG investment opportunities. Issuers have also leveraged the debt capital markets to raise funds for Covid-19 pandemic mitigation efforts.

The market for corporate debt was up 18 percent in 2020. In addition, the number of listed Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programs continued in 2020 the growth trend that started in 2019.

Total listed volumes on the Nasdaq Sustainable Debt Market jumped 53 percent on a yearly basis in 2020. The global pandemic has fueled governments, NGOs and companies' efforts to raise fund. The Nordic Investment Bank has issued bonds to support the government of Estonia. In September, Finland's Municipality Finance PLC also issued the first ever social bond on Nasdaq Helsinki.

According to Data from the Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network, through the investments financed by their sustainable bonds, the issuers listing bonds at Nasdaq's Sustainable Debt Market in Europe saved in total 9.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas, which are equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions for the population of Stockholm.

Other notable events on the Nasdaq Sustainable Debt Market in 2020 include the Swedish Government listing the first Nordic sovereign green bond valued at $2 billion in September and Tornator listing the first corporate green bond in Finland in October.