Asia Pacific

Sri Lanka’s dollar bonds were among the worst performing high yield notes in Asia last week, as the country continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic and refinancing pressures loom.

In this round-up, the chairman of China’s top securities regulator says the country will step up on its crackdown of fraudulent behaviour in the financial market, and the governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) talks about policies to overcome the impact of the pandemic.

Hong Kong jewellery company Chow Tai Fook is taking a flexible approach to its loan market return during the Covid-19 pandemic, giving banks seven participation levels to choose from.

Kintor Pharmaceutical has notched another success for the healthcare sector, raising HK$1.86bn ($240m) from its IPO after pricing the deal at the top of the marketed range.

In this round-up, China releases better-than-expected credit data for April, both consumer and producer inflation numbers ease onshore, and the central bank sells Rmb30bn ($4.23bn) of renminbi bills in Hong Kong.

In this round-up, the relationship between the US and China deteriorates, the US warns its pension fund against investing in Chinese equities, and Mainland regulators vow to develop the financial markets of the Greater Bay Area.

Bank of America became the first global commercial bank to print a Covid-19 response bond this week.

Charoen Pokphand Group has launched a $7.15bn-equivalent loan into general syndication after attracting five banks at the senior level.

Zhenro Properties Group has ended the long absence of Chinese property companies from the dollar bond market, raising $200m from a transaction that was more than 10 times oversubscribed at its peak.

Chinese stocks are in Donald Trump’s firing line again, after the US president announced he is “looking very strongly” at any companies not following local accounting guidelines.

Fitch Ratings has won a licence to rate domestic bonds in China, becoming only the second foreign firm to get access to the Rmb103tr ($14.6tr) market.

China’s Powerlong Real Estate Holdings has closed a $200m-equivalent loan with three banks.