Asia Pacific

India’s Varun Beverages has raised Rp9bn ($124.8m) after pricing its qualified institutional placement at the bottom of guidance, according to a source close to the deal.

WuXi AppTec took advantage of an incredible rally in its stock price and its rarity in the equity-linked market to raise $300m from a convertible bond that was a huge hit with investors. Rashmi Kumar reports.

Singapore-listed real estate company City Developments has raised a S$250m ($180m) loan to promote the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation. The company said it is the first deal of its kind.

Chinese local government financing vehicle (LGFV) Zhangzhou Jiulongjiang Group Co reopened the post-summer bond market with a $500m deal, making its debut in dollars.

Tata AutoComp Systems, an Indian company that provides automotive components, has returned to the loan market for a dual-currency deal to refinance its acquisition borrowing from 2017.

James Gifford, who was founding executive director of the UN Principles for Responsible Investing, has joined Credit Suisse in the newly formed position of head of impact advisory.

French bank BPCE has mandated lead managers for a potential five year senior preferred deal in the Australian dollar market — its first this year in the currency.

Westpac placed just under HK$13.4bn into the Hong Kong market across two MTNs last week — the pair of bonds are its largest ever in the currency, according to Dealogic. The notes came in a busy week for niche issuance, and bankers have posited that this move into the peripheral markets comes as a response to the global fall in yields.

The regulator of China’s interbank bond market has given BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank type A-licences that give them full underwriting access to the market. But the move has puzzled a number of bankers both onshore and offshore.

A slump in syndicated loan activity in Asia has put pressure on banks to offer juicy terms to borrowers seeking leveraged deals, including lower pricing and weaker structures. But the dearth of issuance won’t last long, leaving just a short window for borrowers to take advantage of.

Agricultural Bank of China Singapore branch has raised a $200m green loan from seven banks, following in the footsteps of peer ICBC London, which signed a mandate letter for a green loan three months ago.

CLSA announced a handful of new appointments to its equity advisory business research team in Asia and Australia on Tuesday, including a chief strategist.