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The European Commission has reached out to the European Covered Bond Council (ECBC) to make the case for reinvigorating the market for European Secured Notes. ESNs could improve access to crucial funding for Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are struggling to recover following lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19.

A wave of companies from some of the most distressed industries will test risk appetite with rights issues this autumn, such as shopping mall landlord Hammerson and International Airlines Group, the parent of British Airways. These firms may raise the money they need and survive, but investors would be well advised to exercise extreme caution, for the future is not bright.

Will India ever come to the international bond market? Fears of foreign currency exposure and dissenting voices in the government derailed a planned deal last year. Now is the perfect time to try again.

In this round-up, the six month review of the US-China trade deal has been delayed, the head of the Chinese banking and insurance regulator talks about non-performing loan risk and the resurgence of shadow banking activity, and the Hang Seng Index begins including secondary listed companies and those with weighted voting rights.

This week in Keeping Tabs: whether investors are prepared for the impact of a Joe Biden win on environmental policy, how bond and syndicated loan markets diverged in the crisis, and a crypto app that tanked.

In this round-up, total social financing (TSF) growth in July is below expectations due to a steep fall in new renminbi loans, the banking industry’s profit growth turns negative for the first half of 2020, and Baidu’s video unit iQiyi says it is under the scrutiny of the US securities regulator.

In this round-up, China produces a sanctions list in response to a similar move by the US, multinational companies raise concerns on US president Donald Trump’s executive order against Tencent’s WeChat, and Chinese telecommunications firms will be barred from taking part in India’s 5G trial.

The coronavirus crisis has reshaped many aspects of finance, but not the line-up of top investment banks. It does appear to have pressed some firms into sharp decisions, though.

European equity capital markets are gearing up for a wave of autumn IPOs and are worrying that they will struggle for investor attention. But one of the few good things to have emerged from the coronavirus pandemic — the use of technology to accelerate deal calendars — should alleviate fears of congestion.

After months of lockdown in countries across the world, a few of my banker friends are now slowly heading back to their offices. It is not easy.

Real money investors have historically avoided the reputational risk involved in participating in sovereign debt restructurings. But a truly socially responsible investor should embrace these situations — for the sake of both their clients and troubled emerging nations.

Some argue that innovation has taken a backward step in the pandemic with the loss of people working in close proximity bouncing ideas off each other. But that’s not the case in the capital markets. In fact, working remotely in such a vast but archaic business has brought the use of technology to the centre of discussions.