Asian bonds on hold in the wake of US carnage

Asian companies hoping to raise money in the bond market had better be patient — and ready to strike at a moment’s notice, said bankers on Monday. The region’s stock markets plummeted en masse as investors dumped their holdings or took out new short positions following Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the US last week, and bankers think the psychological effect of such prolonged and violent falls will make any new bond activity unlikely.