Bank of America

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, Nomura and UBS have made senior changes in their equity capital markets and syndicate teams in Asia.

Bernie Mensah has been crowned president of EMEA at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, adding to his responsibilities as co-head of global FICC trading.

After several weeks of focusing on conventional bonds in core currencies, SSAs popped back into the socially responsible investments (SRI) market this week. Nederlandse Waterschapsbank (NWB) is laying the ground for an affordable housing bond in euros, while the European Investment Bank found a solid reception for a Climate Awareness Bond that came in rare seven year dollar form.

The EMEA IPO market is fully underway again after the Easter break, with bankers fresh from the Courchevel ski slopes or St Tropez sunbeds to provide investors with some fresh IPO powder. But high volumes means buyers have the ability to be selective.

Japanese telecoms group Softbank opened the week in the European high yield market with a multi-billion refinancing deal to redeem its old 2013 bonds — and delete a covenant that could get in the way of its flotation.

Consol, the glass bottle maker, moved ahead with its IPO on Monday by setting a price range. It is hoping to return to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) at a positive moment for South Africa.

After the Qatari sovereign launched its $12bn triple tranche return to the bond market last week, Mannai Corporate, a conglomerate from the country, is following it into the market this week. Mannai is looking to print a senior perpetual non-call five Reg S only dollar bond. It will be the company’s debut in the bond market.

Hanwha Life Insurance Co became the latest South Korean name to raise funds from the dollar bond market on Monday, as the country’s insurance firms prepare to adhere to new capital standards.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has appointed Shu Nagata and Tucker Highfield as co-heads of Asia Pacific equity capital markets, according to a memo seen by GlobalCapital Asia.

The International Development Association, part of the World Bank Group, is on screens with its debut bond issue. The trade is offering a handful of basis points over seasoned World Bank Group issuer the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (known as World Bank), according to bankers away from the mandate.

French shopping centre operator Unibail-Rodamco said in December it planned to sell around €2bn of bonds to refinance the bridge loan it has taken on to fund its $15.7bn acquisition of its Australian peer Westfield Corp. On Monday, it brought the deal to market and received reassuring demand.

The IPO of IBS IT, a Russian technology company, was postponed on Friday due to “increased market volatility” driven primarily by US-led sanctions against Russia. According to Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, more might be coming.