Asia Pacific

According to the statement emailed by Cathay Financial Holdings to GlobalCapital Asia, the Ultrasonic loan was signed among Nomura and the participants in August 2014. A month later, the CEO of the company Qingyong Wu went missing after which the company defaulted on its obligations.

Legal action launched by six Taiwanese lenders against Nomura for a syndicated loan that went into default, has unearthed simmering conflicts in the tightly knit Asian syndicated loan community. The fallout will have ramifications for Nomura and the wider loan market, writes Shruti Chaturvedi.

In a rare liquidity event for one of Pakistan’s blue chip conglomerates, Engro Corp sold down some of its stake in Engro Fertilizer on Tuesday, raising Prp19.31bn ($185m) from the accelerated share sale.

Back in the day, us bankers would go to any lengths to win new business. Marathon drinking sessions with issuers – check. A promise of internships to their nieces, nephews or neighbours – check that off too. But while such enticements have now been severely curtailed, a friend surprised me with his latest adventure.

Zhongyu Gas fires up refi — Trans Corp hit syndication — Cheng Loong raising Vietnam funds — Global Bank gets bigger loan

Hotel Lotte Co has managed to smooth over a wobble in investor sentiment for its W5.3tr ($4.6bn) IPO after accusations of bribery in the company hit the news last week. It has delayed its listing by a month, chopped the price range to bandage the situation and now looks set to go ahead, writes Jonathan Breen.

Hong Kong-listed Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp returned to the equity-linked market this week for the first time since 2014, soaking up demand to raise $450m with a seven non-call four year convertible.

Tianjin Infrastructure Construction (TJII) has become latest Chinese local government financing vehicle to tap the international bond market, pricing a new $500m three year. Bankers on the deal were encouraged to see a Chinese LGFV trade resonate well with offshore investors who had previously remained on the sidelines.

The Republic of Indonesia sold its first 12 year euro note as part of a dual-tranche return to the European bond market on Tuesday. It had to pay up over its dollar curve, but the elevated cost proved no hardship as the sovereign is keen to make its presence felt among European investors.

Former Barclays banker Candace Hahm is set to join Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (HK) as an associate for the capital markets group.

The Asian ex-Japan high yield bond market received a boost on Wednesday with Samvardhana Motherson Automotive Systems Group and Xuzhou Economic and Technology Development Zone State-Owned Assets Management (Xuzhou ETDZ) opening books for their dollar debuts.

The news that the US is to receive a Rmb250bn investment quota has been greeted as a welcome, if long overdue, development. Plans are also underway to set up a renminbi clearing system in the US, but the challenge will be convincing the country’s corporates to use the currency.