Asia Pacific

China’s securities firms are about to be subject to an alarming rule that will limit their capacity to provide independent research. The decision to grade firms on their ability to manage the reputation of China and guide public opinion is a big step back for the country’s financial system.

The protests in Hong Kong continue to spiral out of control. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets. Residents have got used to the sight of armed response units running past their windows. The airport has ground to a halt. Was it really sensible to plan a business trip in the middle of all this?

Equity capital markets bankers and investors are coming to terms with the idea that there may not be a trade deal to end tensions between the US and China this year, despite the former delaying some of its latest tariffs on Chinese goods until the end of the year.

China IT company Chinasoft International has returned to the syndicated loan market after six years, seeking a HK$1bn ($127m) facility.

Zhenro Properties Group returned to the dollar bond market for the seventh time this year on Tuesday, tapping one of its March transactions for an additional $110m. But the market presented a whole different set of problems for the borrower this time round.

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) bagged Rmb30bn ($4.3bn) through a two tranche trade on Wednesday. It was not the first time the issuer picked a curious time to sell Bills.

Indonesian state owned pharmaceutical company Kimia Farma is planning to raise capital through a rights issue of new shares, according to a stock exchange filing.

A number of highly anticipated emerging market IPO issuers are understood to have shifted listing plans to next year instead of the last quarter of 2019.

MGM China has raised a HK$9.75bn ($1bn) unsecured revolving credit facility with a group of 13 lenders to repay its old secured borrowings.

The Indian government has sent out a request for proposals for banks to lead the IPO of FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals India (Fagmil).

Loans banker Daniel Chung is leaving Maybank Kim Eng to join CTBC Bank's Hong Kong team, according to sources.

Volatility has hurt secondary spreads and primary deal flow in the Asian bond market but really it is no bad thing. A quiet month is just what the market needs after an overwhelming amount of supply so far this year.