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Once again, regulators have kept European derivatives players on edge until the last minute, this month over the expected exemption of physically settled FX forwards from variation margin requirements. They need a break.

I’ve been lucky to spend the years after my retirement never too far from my local, swilling drinks at Captain’s Bar with some good company. But the new crop of bankers retiring these days doesn’t seem content becoming a Hong Kong relic.

The terms of leveraged finance deals are growing ever more aggressive. The most regular borrowers are the biggest pushers of tough terms, but those who follow their example may pay the heaviest price in a market correction.

Saudi Aramco’s jumbo IPO is taxiing towards take off, though the timing and any co-listing locations along with Riyadh have yet to be revealed. London and New York’s exchanges are eager to host a co-listing, with Toronto, Hong Kong and Singapore also in the frame for what promises to be the biggest ever IPO, valuing the company at $2tr.

Investors in South African bonds have bought on the dip because, even as the country’s economic outlook deteriorates, the only way for bonds is up. But positive reinforcement of the country’s poor governance and deteriorating economy reduces the incentive to reform and only postpones what will be a bigger investor stampede for the exit when the time comes.

Land NRW hit screens with a five year benchmark this week, as hopes grew that a coalition government at the federal level could be formed in Germany, following weeks of talks. GlobalCapital examines the BondMarker scores for deals in the weeks leading up to Germany’s federal election — held on September 24 — and in its messy aftermath.

Once regarded as silent and mysterious, in recent years central banks have done everything to explain their decisions and intentions. Now they face a new challenge: working out how to talk to robots.

A European Commission study has confirmed what every corporate bond market participant already knew was true — the market has a liquidity problem. Everyone is responsible, the EC says, but no one has any incentive to fix the problem. They need to pull together to improve liquidity while there is time.

Benchmark bonds have always been the business end of the SSA fee scale, with banks providing arbitrage trades for little to no return — or even at a cost — in the hope of reaping the rewards later with a big mandate. But it might be time to change the model so that intermediaries are paid for the job done. Perhaps surprisingly, some issuers agree.

An absence of domestic German and Austrian blue chip firms from the Schudschein market, in a year when it is set to top last year’s record volumes, is a testament to its strength.

Foreign ownership reform in the Chinese financial sector is not only a landmark in the country’s opening up, but also a strategic move to rebalance US-China trade. But recent guidelines curtailing banking sector liberalisation appear to be a case of one step forward, two steps back for China. Now more than ever, Beijing must not let its caution around financial risk take over and undo its strategy.

The sheer amount of dollar bond issuance seen this month in Asia, and the expected supply heading into the year end, has taken a bit of a toll on the market, with a handful of deals pulled and many others suffering in secondary. But there is a silver lining. Issuers in the region are being forced to think hard, communicate better and push the boundaries — things which can only make the market stronger.