Asia Pacific

China Merchants Bank printed its inaugural international floating rate note this week, becoming the first joint stock bank from the country to do so. It priced its bonds close to fair value.

South Korea’s GS Caltex Corp bagged a $400m five year deal on Monday, securing buy-side support thanks to its credentials, despite a soft market backdrop.

ICICI Bank’s board has approved the sale of part of its stake in ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co via an IPO — the Indian lender’s second such deal following the successful listing of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co.

Malaysian lenders RHB Bank and AMMB Holdings (AmBank Group) have entered into an exclusivity agreement for a potential merger.

China Construction Bank International opened books for a new five year deal on Tuesday morning, backed by the lender's Hong Kong branch.

Chinese developer Fantasia Holdings Group Co is in the market on Tuesday with an unrated short-term dollar note for refinancing purposes.

Grand Baoxin Auto Group launched a primary equity raise on Tuesday morning that could fetch up to HK$1.03bn ($132m).

China Everbright Bank’s Hong Kong branch launched a new dollar three year floater on Tuesday morning, just a few months after sealing a $500m 2020 fixed deal.

One Belt One Road has graduated from diplomatic talking point to economic imperative after China pledged a series of investments at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in mid-May. Now, banks are lining up to get a piece of the action in a field that is traditionally dominated by governments and policy institutions.

Just as the country’s prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, met with Donald Trump on a US tour, Vietnam’s equity capital markets were repeatedly in the news over the last few weeks, with a flurry of IPOs and new listings, heralding that issuers there may finally be coming of age, writes columnist Philippe Espinasse.

The US Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued an order filing and settling charges against David Liew for spoofing, attempted manipulation and manipulation in the gold and silver futures markets.

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) is inviting the public to comment on some proposed changes to rubber derivatives on its commodity platform, the Singapore Commodity Exchange (SICOM).