Asia Pacific

As head of BlackRock, the largest asset manager, Larry Fink’s pivot to responsible investing in recent years has been influential.

AIIB made its dim sum debut this week into a booming market. A slew of deals has been sold in recent weeks, with more paper printed in last the last 10 days than in the whole of any other year, except for 2019.

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association's CEO has called for more clarity on close-out netting in China.

ING names Apac wholesale banking head — CréditAg adds to debt team — MUFG taps China corporate banking head — Hang Seng seeks feedback on WVR index inclusion — Star board pipeline builds

The majority of the banks in China, as well as foreign banks, can now trade bonds listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, according to new guidelines published on Wednesday. But the appeal of this option remains questionable.

Investors chased after a rare $300m Basel III-compliant tier two bond from Indonesia’s Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) in both primary and secondary markets this week, sending the 12.3 times covered deal tighter in the aftermarket.

Taiwanese LCD panel maker Innolux Corp raised $300m from a zero coupon convertible bond this week, riding a new wave of demand for the asset class in 2020.

Anta Sports Products made a stellar euro equity-linked debut this week, sealing a €1bn zero-coupon convertible bond at a negative yield. The deal had its share of challenges, but showed what is possible in a market that has seen a change in sentiment recently. Jonathan Breen reports.

Future Retail’s inaugural dollar bond raised the curtain for India’s retail shopping sector, as the company leveraged on its new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon to raise $500m. But while the industry appeals to investors, issuance pipeline from the country remains thin, writes Morgan Davis.

The securitization market generates a mix of excitement and confusion, offering investors a novel way to boost their returns, diversify risks and — not very bold conjecture here — sometimes lose lots of money without quite understanding why.

Indonesian apparel supplier Pan Brothers is in talks with banks for a new dollar loan, as it prepares to return to the market for the first time since 2018. However, syndication may be a challenge, as lenders are still reeling from the default of a subsidiary of textile firm Duniatex last year, writes Pan Yue.

Power Finance Corp sold its third dollar transaction in six months, raising $750m from a slightly longer-dated deal.