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As UK mid-cap companies face the worst disruption that most of them will have experienced, many are turning to their corporate brokers for advice on how to survive the coronavirus crisis. Carlton Nelson, co-head of Investec's corporate broking business, has worked on a number of Covid-19 capital raising deals for UK companies and shared his experiences of an unprecedented crisis — its effects on the business that needs to be done and how it is executed.

In this round-up, China releases better-than-expected credit data for April, both consumer and producer inflation numbers ease onshore, and the central bank sells Rmb30bn ($4.23bn) of renminbi bills in Hong Kong.

In this round-up, the relationship between the US and China deteriorates, the US warns its pension fund against investing in Chinese equities, and Mainland regulators vow to develop the financial markets of the Greater Bay Area.

The coronavirus pandemic will test the complex relationship between bank loans and the fabled ancillary business supposed to make it all worthwhile. Some banks have provided heaps of extra cash for European clients to keep them alive and it has changed the shape of the loan market, with some banks ramping up market share. But will companies return the love when the time comes?

China has taken a long-awaited step towards opening its real estate investment trust (Reit) market, publishing rules for a pilot programme. The regulators are understandably starting small, but the guidelines don’t do enough for companies that need to list Reits the most.

Lately I’ve been reading the poetry of W B Yeats — part of a desperate attempt to calm my nerves. “I have spread my dreams under your feet,” he wrote. “Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”

The coronavirus pandemic, in terms of the financial markets has had its winners as well as its losers. The loan market, after years of decline as borrowers sought better terms in bond markets, has shown its worth in times of trouble by being able to offer liquidity lifelines to companies left in dire need of the stuff when other markets could not provide it.

Japanese issuers are among the best-regarded in the world, offering global investors a safe haven at times of heightened volatility. That is now more important than ever. Their last financial year started amid widespread trade disputes between China and the US. It ended with the global spread of Covid-19, a pandemic that threatens to fundamentally alter the capital markets. GlobalCapital talked to a group of Japan’s top issuers to find out how they have navigated the volatility — and what they’re planning next.

The market for bonds that target environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns previously put the focus on the environmental aspect, leading to a rush of green bond issuance but little attention on social problems. Not anymore. Social bonds have become a much more prominent tool for highly-rated issuers, helping fund solutions to problems ranging from educational shortfalls in developing countries to the spread of Covid-19 around the world. Japanese issuers have been at the forefront, developing a busy domestic market. GlobalCapital talks to a group of prominent issuers about the potential of social bonds.

Japan’s socially responsible investment (SRI) market has blossomed, helping the country to become a leading destination for the sector. Morgan Davis reports.

Japanese companies have reduced their offshore bond issuance over the last few years. But could a push for overseas business bolster supply? Morgan Davis reports.

The wave of accelerated capital raisings in the UK in response to the Covid-19 crisis has caused consternation in some circles because retail investors cannot access to these deals. While the principle of shareholder equality is without doubt a noble one, in reality larger shareholders have always had more access to equity capital markets deals than retail investors have.