Free content

Oleg Mukhamedshin, deputy chief executive of Rusal, which produces 9% of the world’s aluminium, tells Mariam Meskin how the company has weathered yet another rocky period in commodity markets. And how its sustainability credentials have been affected by oil spills at its affiliate, Norilsk Nickel, in May and June.

Political interference in central bank business is rarely a smart move, especially for emerging market countries trying to win the respect of international markets. But it’s an even more reckless endeavour in the midst of a global crisis, especially for a debt-ridden country like Zambia.

Any investor in a market as international and broad as the Schuldschein deserves a healthy secondary market. This is emerging, but certain market grandees are resistant. They should embrace it.

Europe’s corporate bond market is back in action this week with new deals. But it will be no picnic for investors. The market is awash with cash and new issues in the months ahead will be painfully expensive.

Financial supervisors and regulators are too preoccupied with collecting research and data on environmental threats to finance and the economy, rather than simply using their own judgement and other tools at their disposal.

Leveraged finance bankers in Asia are counting on the possible delisting of a host of Chinese companies from the US to give a fillip to the region’s dollar loan market this year. But bankers should temper their expectations.

In this round-up, China’s banking and insurance regulator explains why banks’ profits slumped nearly 10% in the first half, TikTok’s parent ByteDance says it is suing the US government, and chairman of JP Morgan’s onshore joint venture has left to join a pharmaceutical company.

This week in Keeping Tabs: does sustainable finance need to rethink environmental threats, did monetary policy after the last crisis increase well-being, and do we need to worry about sovereign debt levels in developed countries?

In this round-up, China’s fiscal revenues tumble 8.7% for the first seven months of 2020, the country’s top court slashes the legal limit on private lending rate, and an investor rights law firm files a class action claim against iQiyi’s owner Baidu.

In this round-up, China and the US are back on track to review progress of the phase one trade deal, American universities have been told to cut their China investments in their endowments, and Huawei Technologies is hit with another ban.

The agreement on collective action clauses (CACs) reached by Argentina, Ecuador and their creditors is highly complex. But it is hugely encouraging that major investors are actively participating on an issue that is crucial to the health of the market.

Renewable energy has finally arrived as one of the premier sectors in equity capital markets. All it took was a global pandemic.