Asia Pacific

King & Wood Mallesons has expanded its team in Hong Kong with the recruitment of two new partners, one of them an IPO specialist, the law firm said in a statement.

Law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has hired a derivatives and structured finance to its Singapore office as partner.

China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings (CALC) has made its syndicated loan debut with a $194.73m borrowing.

The Singapore Exchange’s offer for the Baltic Exchange is the latest in a long line of moves by the Asian bourse to search for new ways to grow. But buying the Baltic Exchange won't be a solution, and the SGX is better off looking for opportunities closer to home.

Asia’s oldest bourse, the Bombay Stock Exchange, is planning to sell 30% of its share capital in an IPO by the end of the financial year, according to a notice to shareholders.

A slew of onshore bond defaults by Chinese state-owned entities has sent a chill through the market over the past couple of months, with more expected to be in store. But with the market calming down in May, it’s time to take stock and realise that such defaults are part of China’s transition to a market-driven economy — and are essential for the long-term health of the country’s debt market.

Property developer Frasers Centrepoint is likely to begin bookbuilding on Friday for a potential S$900m ($651.5m) real estate investment trust IPO in Singapore, a source close to the deal told GlobalCapital Asia.

Indian mortgage lender HDFC has launched a $375m five year loan into general syndication and is poised to receive the entire amount from the leads this week.

With a Federal Reserve rate hike possibly coming in June, the question on top of analysts’ minds is whether there will be a repeat of the panic in the RMB market like what was seen in January. But luckily this time around, China’s commitment to stability is likely to keep volatility at bay.

Thailand’s Ministry of Finance is expected to select a financial adviser as early as next week for the IPO of the country’s Future Fund, which will finance government projects.

A $725m loan for Indonesia Eximbank has hit general syndication, two months after the borrower picked the mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners.

Foreign investors looking to put their money into China’s interbank bond market (CIBM) are welcoming the release of a more accommodative set of guidelines. The rules are an expansion of an announcement made three months ago and are widely seen as a prelude for the inclusion of China’s bond market into global indices.