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The coronavirus has made fantastical numbers commonplace in the corporate bond market. Everywhere one looks, results are being published that in any other time would herald the sudden collapse of companies. But you wouldn’t guess that from looking at the corporate bond market.

Lee Buchheit is a veteran of sovereign debt restructuring and is considered by many to be a world expert in the field. He has worked on debt restructuring among many of the emerging markets countries, including Argentina, Greece and Venezuela. GlobalCapital caught up with him this week to discuss the debt crisis gripping the EM universe, and how private sector creditors should approach requests for debt standstills.

Do you remember what it was like to work in an office? Blissfully boring. Those working from home now have to juggle work and personal life — and try not to turn their children into market-savvy scoundrels.

Whole industries are on their knees, desperate for salvation from governments. Moral outrage fills the air, as fortune's wheel turns plutocrats into mendicants. States have the power of life and death — but they must resist the temptation to play God.

The ECB has, despite an early gaffe, decided that it is its job to close spreads after all — and for the most part, it is excelling in its task. But its attention is focused on the bond market and, as a result, those who rely on the money markets for short term funding are suffering.

From Italian government bonds to fallen angels, nothing is junk unless the European Central Bank says so.

Kookmin Bank’s move to print a dollar bond to raise money for Covid-19 relief shows that sovereigns, government-owned banks, agencies and multilateral development banks are not the only ones that can help tackle the pandemic. Privately-owned firms also have a big role to play in global stimulus efforts.

Capital markets bankers wondering about a possible ‘summer slowdown’ in transactions should put the thought firmly out of their heads. This year, the traditional break in August is likely to be replaced by an all-hands-on-deck approach to tackle the deal backlog.

The Covid-19 pandemic is an ESG issue. More than ever before, a natural phenomenon is driving markets. Suddenly, social responsibility is no longer kooky but required of all. How are responsible investors reacting — and can the crisis lead to a better model of financial markets, where all stakeholders are considered?

In this round-up, March trading volume soars in the onshore bond market but dips in stocks, China’s industrial profits decline sharply for the first quarter, and the securities regulator says it will not tolerate fraudulent behaviour.

Welcome to the first edition of Keeping Tabs. There is a huge amount of information to take in at the best of times in the capital markets. During a crisis, it can be overwhelming. So, each week, we will bring you the very best of what we in the GlobalCapital newsroom have found most useful, interesting, informative and entertaining from around the web.

In this round-up, Shanghai-based companies are being encouraged to take advantage of the city’s Star board, China has pledged another $30m to the World Health Organization and the State Council has urged banks to boost lending to micro and small enterprises.