China

Two FIG names were among the seven issuers vying for funds on Thursday with Bank of East Asia and Sirius International both pricing new trades. And the hectic schedule of the last few weeks is unlikely to slow down in November.

Huarong International Financial Holdings has signed a dual-tranche loan at HK$3bn ($515.6m), double the launch size.

In this round-up, the Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office appoints the first group of partner entities, RMB depreciation boosts trading activity in FX markets, and the RMB qualified foreign institutional investor scheme adds two participants in October. Plus, a recap of our top stories this week.

In the wake of Brexit, the French financial sector is taking steps to make good on the threat of chipping away RMB business away from the City of London, Arnaud de Bresson, managing director at industry organisation Paris Europlace told GlobalRMB.

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication’s (Swift) latest RMB tracker shows that during the last two years, seven new countries are using the renminbi for more than 10% of their direct payments with China and Hong Kong.

Bank of China is gearing up for another milestone as it starts marketing China’s first green covered bond. While the structure of the dual recourse notes is unlikely to appeal to traditional covered bond investors, the trade underpins Beijing’s commitment to lead innovation in socially responsible financing. Lorraine Cushnie reports.

Chinese logistics company ZTO Express priced its $1.4bn IPO on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, marking the largest float from a Mainland firm in the US since 2014. And its successful listing is expected to boost the number of Chinese firms heading to the United States, writes Jonathan Breen.

Nicholas Chia has been made the head of equity capital markets and syndicate at Singapore’s OCBC Bank, the latest of Standard Chartered’s former ECM team to land a new role.

There has been a relentless downward pressure on the pricing of investment grade loans this year, as lenders choose to preserve the size and quality of their balance sheets even in the face of diminishing returns. Unfortunately, respite from margin compression is not coming any time soon, as volumes remain low and banks’ liquidity and hunger for assets show no signs of abating. Shruti Chaturvedi reports.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) expanded the group of key offshore RMB (CNH) liquidity providers and revised arrangements for its CNH facility on October 27. The move comes at a time of greater downward pressure on the RMB, increasing the possibility of more interventions by China’s central bank.

Ever since it was announced by Chinese president Xi Jinping three years ago, the Belt and Road Initiative has been one of the most talked about policy strategies. While a level of scepticism remains, firms are starting to see opportunities emerge from the China-led initiative.

Fixed income investors have plenty supply to choose from out of Asia with seven issuers venturing out on Thursday. Corporates joining the fray included property companies Shokai Group and Golden Wheel as well as Guangxi LGFV and Hong Kong’s Li & Fung.