Australia

GlobalCapital Asia and Asiamoney are pleased to announce the results of our annual awards, recognising the best banks and transactions in Australia. Our thanks to everybody who took time to pitch.

Investec Australia Property Fund, the Johannesburg-listed real estate investment trust focused on commercial property in Australia and New Zealand, set terms for its partially underwritten R1.5bn ($111m) rights issue on Tuesday. Investors marked the shares up 2.3% on the day.

ANZ has made a new hire to its loan syndications team in Australia. The move comes close on the heels of high level changes in the department.

Queensland Treasury Corp ran a prototype bond auction on Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s blockchain platform, the bank said on Tuesday. QTC generated a bond tender, viewed investor bids in real time, finalised investment allocation and settled the dummy issue instantly — although it was on both sides of the deal, as sole issuer and investor.

Westpac extended its sterling curve out to eight years on Wednesday, giving UK investors a rare chance to snap up Australian bank senior debt.

ANZ has moved an executive director to the position of acting head of its loan syndications operation in Australia, as the incumbent steps into a new role.

Citi has named Ian Campbell a managing director and head of DCM for Australia and New Zealand, according to a memo seen by GlobalCapital Asia.

Deutsche Bank has appointed two bankers as co-heads of global markets for Asia Pacific, following Michael Ormaechea’s decision to retire.

Royal Bank of Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Deutsche Pfandbriefbank tapped the sterling covered bond market this week at cheaper levels than they could have achieved in euros and dollars.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia swept up remaining demand in the now saturated five year sterling covered bond market on Thursday, while Deutsche Pfandbriefbank (PBB) got a fair reception for the first three year floating rate covered bond of the year.

ANZ and CIMB have both revealed plans to sell their respective stakes in Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank (SRCB) and Bank of Yingkou, as part of strategies to focus on their core businesses.

The renminbi qualified foreign institutional investor (RQFII) scheme is set to end 2016 on a disappointing note with the combined value of quotas awarded amounting to roughly half of last year’s total.