Asia Pacific

Kate Birchall, the former head of portfolio optimisation and collateral at National Australia Bank, has been chosen by LCH to lead the Asia Pacific operations of its London-based clearing house LCH Limited.

Shandong Gold Mining has raised HK$4.8bn ($616.8m) after sealing its IPO at the bottom of price guidance, according to a senior banker on the deal.

The London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) and the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to create a dual-listing route for Masala bonds in the hopes of giving a fillip to the asset class.

Keppel-KBS US Real Estate Investment Trust said on Monday it is considering raising new equity to help pay for an acquisition in Washington.

Debt-strapped Wuzhou International Holdings will be unable to make payments on its $300m bond this week, adding to a spate of other non-payment situations, including failing to redeem a $100m convertible bond as well as defaulting on a renminbi note and on some of its loan obligations.

Chinese tire manufacturer Prinx Chengshan has opened books for its up to HK$1.01bn ($129.6m) IPO.

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) laid out plans for the development of green finance in the city last Friday, coinciding with the launch of a new green finance association.

Nomura has brought a senior banker back into its fold to lead the convertible bond origination business in Asia ex-Japan, according to a memo seen by GlobalCapital Asia.

China’s Health and Happiness (H&H) International Holdings has cancelled an exchange offer as well as a concurrent new money issuance, becoming one of three issuers to pull deals this week, as bankers blame the recent explosive supply on weaker investor demand.

In a setback for South Korea’s insurance companies, Hanwha General Insurance was forced to pull its tier two dollar bond from the market on Thursday.

Allahabad Bank is looking to make its first outing to the equity capital market since 2005 to raise some Rp15bn ($208m).

In this round up, CSOP Asset Management creates a new platform to facilitate global investors’ access to A-share alpha strategies, first participating firms in the London-Shanghai Connect emerge, and Hong Kong registers its highest volume of RMB clearing in August.