Asean

Something quite extraordinary has just been happening in Singapore. For the first time in several years, investors in the city-state have been able to punt on a local, multi-billion-dollar IPO, writes Philippe Espinasse in the latest Clawback.

Socially conscious investing in Asia has so far concentrated on green bonds and little else. But SRI financing is not just limited to green bonds. By taking a broader approach, Asian borrowers — including sovereigns — can reap serious benefits.

Asian green bonds are front and centre this week. Greenko Energy Holdings took the lead with its dollar bond on Monday, with Singapore’s DBS Group Holdings and Hong Kong’s Castle Peak Power Company rolling out their transactions on Tuesday.

A relatively stable credit backdrop has encouraged a swathe of Asian issuers to tap the bond market this week, ensuring a blistering pace of issuance.

DBS Group Holdings is readying Singapore’s first international green bond, mandating firms for its debut in the asset class.

The State Council grants PBoC greater powers with new commission, China reports 6.9% year-on-year GDP growth in the second quarter, and Spain plans its first Panda bond.

A recent directive from Malaysia’s central bank could spark off a round of consolidation or IPOs among the country’s insurers, according to ECM bankers.

One more bank has signed a facility agreement with the Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia for a £130m ($168m) financing. That takes the strength of the syndicate for the loan to three banks.

First-time southeast Asian issuers Parkway Pantai and ABM Investama will meet investors next week ahead of US dollar bond sales. Yinson Holdings, meanwhile, is eyeing a $500m perpetual securities issue.

Singapore Exchange set a new record for its offshore RMB futures contract, a new RMB-denominated gold future kicks off trading in Hong Kong, and UBS Asset Management receives a fund management licence onshore.

The Republic of Indonesia sold one of its classic blockbuster deals this week, raising more than $3bn from a three-tranche bond in euros and dollars. The transaction was a mix of self-promotion and opportunism — and further cements the country’s reputation as one of the savviest issuers in the region, writes Morgan Davis.

Saka Energi Indonesia, the upstream oil and gas arm of state-owned Perusahaan Gas Negara, is back in the loan market for a $200m-$300m deal with a bigger top group when compared with its previous borrowing.