Banks

Société Générale is strengthening its debt capital market capabilities in Asia Pacific by creating a new Japan team under Yohei Abo.

Haitong International Securities has returned to the loan market for a HK$13.8bn ($1.7bn) refinancing led by a 16-strong group of mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners.

Oliver Brinkmann has joined JP Morgan as head of corporate banking for Asia Pacific, according to an internal memo seen by GlobalCapital Asia.

Citi has named two new co-heads for the debt capital markets syndicate desk in Asia Pacific, succeeding James Arnold who is taking up another position within the bank.

The European Investment Bank and Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten showed the strength of the dollar market on Tuesday as they sparked the sector into life for 2019 with benchmarks offering minimal concession. Another pair of SSAs are hoping to emulate that success on Wednesday.

Belgium and KfW received well oversubscribed order books for 10 year euro benchmarks on Tuesday, with several public sector borrowers set to follow in the euro market this week.

UniCredit has hired Audrey Sebban as head of debt capital markets, FIG and SSA for France, the bank said on Tuesday.

While leveraged market participants expect loans to maintain their lead over fixed income in volume terms, some underwriters and lawyers believe market fatigue is beginning to make borrowers turn their attention to high yield bonds again.

Austrian construction firm Porr has become the first Schuldschein borrower in 2019, launching a pair of deals totalling €150m that are offered in three maturities. The deal was launched on Monday, and some of it is for green projects.

UniCredit came to the dollar market on Tuesday, looking to sell a public senior non-preferred bond after its large private placement a few months ago. The bank was thought to be offering a large premium.

Bankers have confirmed that Qatar National Bank has entered the second phase of syndication to refinance an existing €2.25bn facility due for maturity in May 2019.

First it was a pair of car finance issuers. Then came a pair of utilities. And on Tuesday it was a pair of telecoms companies that came to the corporate bond market. But the latest couple really got investors revved up with more than €16.5bn of orders placed.