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Dear reader, These are extraordinary times for global capital markets as the world reels from the spread of Covid-19. -
Chinese bond issuers are confronting a chaotic market at the moment: onshore yields for state-owned enterprises have fallen to historic lows, offshore yields have ballooned and more than 50 issuers have been forced to cancel deals this month. Rebecca Feng and Addison Gong report.
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US president Donald Trump looks unable to lead a global response to the health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but the dollar is unchallenged as the global safe haven in times of crisis. This contradiction is destabilising.
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Short selling bans in several European countries have led to fears that regulators may move to shut down stock markets altogether if the turbulence caused by the spread of Covid-19 worsens further, but this would be a serious mistake.
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There is a plan to rescue the US economy with a $500bn corporate bailout. At the time of writing, that plan is held up in the US Senate. While the country's president Donald Trump is griping about the delay, it’s a fight worth having. The Republican Party's proposal is woefully short on oversight.
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Extraordinary support measures from central banks across the world include an element of corporate lending, but all the schemes announced so far target SMEs, and companies rated BBB- and above. That leaves a gaping hole in the rescue net, which the authorities must fill.
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These are testing times for corporations around the world as they find ways to navigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their businesses and debt profiles. Now more than ever, transparency from borrowers is absolutely key.
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In this round-up, countries around the world have confirmed 14,641 deaths from Covid-19 infections, the coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan is gradually loosening its lockdown, and the New Development Bank is giving China its largest loan.
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In this round-up, Europe has now seen more Covid-19 infections than China and Italy more fatalities than the Mainland, the central bank has decided not to lower the loan prime rate (LPR), and Beijing has banned reporters from three US newspapers.
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“There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen.” So said Vladimir Lenin, although the founder of Soviet Russia probably didn’t write this with the capital markets in mind.
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The decision by the Reserve Bank of India to permanently wipe out Yes Bank’s Rp84.15bn ($1.14bn) Basel III-compliant additional tier one bond left the market in awe of the central bank’s tough stance. But it could be just what investors need right now.
