Asia Pacific

NetLink Trust has kicked off bookbuilding for its up to S$2.7bn ($1.9bn) IPO, set to be Singapore’s largest listing in half a decade, according to a source close to the trade.

Bank of China Group Investment debuted in the Panda bond market on June 23, raising Rmb1.5bn ($219.6m) from a three year note. Its deal marked the second Panda issuance by a financial institution this year, following China Citic Bank International’s deal in May.

A burst of M&A-related financing has put the spotlight on the Asian leveraged finance market, which some still see as a poor relation to its US, European and Australian equivalents. But recent deals show that Asia’s levfin market has been evolving.

The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (Ireda) has been forced to hold off on its plans to sell a green Masala bond due to new regulatory approval requirements.

Roadshows have begun for the IPO of Celltrion Healthcare, the South Korean marketing affiliate of Celltrion, in a deal that can reach W1.008tr ($897m) if priced at the top of the range.

China’s Baidu is readying a dual-tranche dollar bond offering, mandating banks for the deal, while Melco Resorts Finance opened a tap of its May notes on Tuesday.

Greenland Hong Kong Holdings returned to the market on Tuesday for the second time in as many weeks, as Shandong Ruyi Technology Group Co and Hong Kong conglomerate Swire Pacific also launched dollar deals.

Best, the Chinese logistics company backed by Alibaba Group Holdings, has announced its intention to float on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq.

Instinet, the equity execution services arm of Nomura, has named Stuart Knowling as the new CEO for Asia Pacific.

Korea Development Bank is venturing out to the green financing market, launching a dollar bond at the Asia open on Tuesday.

Details around the Bond Connect are still trickling in just a week from the expected July 3 launch, with some analysts raising the spectre of a last minute U-turn by PBoC on its decision not to have aggregate quotas over the scheme.

Leads Building Society extended its covered bond curve by four years on Monday with a €500m seven year covered bond that was priced with little new issue premium. The transaction is expected to be followed by Bank of Queensland’s first covered bond.