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For its work in helping clients across Europe navigate a raft of regulations — from Brexit to Ibor transition and initial margin reporting — Clifford Chance is GlobalCapital’s European Law Firm of the Year for regulatory work.

With its data, technology and expertise across asset classes, IHS Markit has developed its offering to adapt to new regulations and help clients fulfil their reporting and compliance obligations.

Playing to its strengths as a top trading house across both flow market making and structured products, Nomura stands out for its consistency, global offering and appetite for risk taking.

In January, Singapore Exchange (SGX) found itself centre stage when the Covid-19 pandemic began to flare up in China. With some Asian markets closed for Chinese New Year, investors dashed to it. “SGX was the only market open for China-proxy risk management and we saw impact across our derivatives shelf,” said Michael Syn, senior managing director at SGX.

Credit Suisse has harnessed its strength in structured products to deliver innovative solutions for its private banking and institutional clients in a collaborative fashion.

The recent high profile spurt of sustainability-linked bonds, including deals from Brazil’s Suzano, Switzerland’s Novartis and, coming this week, France’s Chanel, is a sharp change, after this structure — where the coupons are linked to sustainability performance targets — has made a surprisingly quiet and disappointing start to life.

The European Central Bank is reportedly considering imbuing its regular Asset Purchase Programme with the powers reserved for its special Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme. From the central bank's perspective it’s a tempting move, but it could tip the eurozone into full blown yield curve control and would certainly draw the ire and no doubt legal challenges from some in Germany.

The European Central Bank (ECB) would gain more autonomy under new proposals on how to improve bank capital rules.

The UK government’s sudden volte face this week about working from home may slow coronavirus infections but it betrayed a fundamental lack of strategic thinking and stability over the most pressing concerns. That should worry the City, which is in a fight for its future as a leading financial centre, as a result of Brexit.

If the European Central Bank (ECB) is serious about eventually scaling back its quantitative easing programme and encouraging a return to normal market funding, it will need all tools at its disposal. That suggests there is scope for an instrument that delivers a low cost of funding and supports the European economy. European Secured Notes (ESNs), which are likely to form part of the European Commission’s capital markets action plan, which is to be unveiled this Thursday, could provide the answer.

Formosa Plastics Corp is preparing to set a new pricing benchmark with its planned $2bn loan, which bankers reckon could set a record low for a borrower from Taiwan. If the company succeeds, this could set a dangerous precedent for the long-term health of Asia’s loan syndication market.

Green and sustainable finance is going through tumultuous change, as it crashes into the mainstream of capital markets, said speakers at the GlobalCapital Sustainable and Responsible Capital Markets Forum last week. They emphasised the importance of tying financing to credible transition plans.