Asia Pacific

Panda bonds are attracting plenty of interest but accounting issues and China’s scrutiny of global auditors are proving to be the biggest impediments to the asset class, according to panelists speaking at the IFLR Asia 2016 Capital Markets Forum.

In the fourth and final part of our annual awards we reveal our choice for Best Asian Investment Bank and Best Investment Bank.

For the third part of our annual awards, we cover Best Local Currency Bond, Best Structured Finance, Best High Yield Bond, Best Investment Grade Corporate Bond, Best Financial Bond, Best Sovereign Bond, Best Local Currency Bond House and Best G3 Bond House.

Infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) India Grid Trust has taken its first step towards going public, submitting a draft red herring prospectus on December 2.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s head of investment banking in Hong Kong has left after two decades at the firm to join UBS, according to a source close to the matter.

China’s Shanghai Dasheng Agriculture Finance Technology Co is vying to raise as much as HK$975.0m ($125.7m) through a fresh placement of H-shares, but first needs the OK from its shareholders.

ANZ has promoted Katharine Tapley to the head of its sustainable finance solutions department.

Singapore Exchange (SGX) announced on Monday the appointment of Michael Luk as the new head of fixed income origination and sales.

A dual currency acquisition financing for Indian company Intas Pharmaceuticals’ purchase of a portfolio of assets in the UK and Ireland, was launched into senior syndication last week. The trade offers banks two titles, including that of mandated lead arranger and bookrunner.

China Minsheng Banking Corp is looking to sell its inaugural Basel III bank capital offering, having picked banks to prepare a dollar-denominated additional tier one (AT1) bond.

Asia ex-Japan debt capital markets had a quiet opening on Monday, with a sole Chinese local government financing vehicle (LGFV) out for dollar funding. On the same day, another two LGFVs announced mandates.

Despite a slight delay to its usual schedule, the Chinese Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced it will be auctioning Rmb10bn ($1.44bn) to institutional investors and an additional Rmb4bn to retail and central bank segments in the second batch of offshore renminbi (CNH) bonds in Hong Kong on December 8.