In brief: Suncorp Bank could join the big four Australian banks in issuing covered bonds, its CEO said yesterday (Thursday), although a spokesperson for the bank stressed that no issuance is imminent.

David Foster, Suncorp Bank’s chief executive officer, said in an interview with Dow Jones that the bank is considering covered bond issuance, with its A+ rating from Standard & Poor’s meaning that it could achieve a triple-A rating on a par with its larger peers.

He said that the bank has been looking at opportunities in Asia, Europe and the US and has been encouraged by appetite for its products.

Foster said that it was a question of waiting for the right window of opportunity to take, although a Suncorp spokesperson told The Covered Bond Report that no programme was yet in place.