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In this weekly round-up, the US Federal Reserve interest rate hike is pushing the RMB even lower against the dollar, a fresh batch of free trade zones could be approved for an early 2017 launch, and Tunisia’s central bank is looking at a Panda bond deal. Plus, a recap of our coverage.

The story of the leveraged finance market in 2016 was in many ways the story of the LBO — or perhaps more aptly, the non-story.

It’s that time of year when analysts dust off their crystal balls and make predictions for the next 12 months. In December 2015 not many were forecasting that Britain would vote to leave the EU, and even fewer were betting on a Donald Trump presidential victory, so investors would be wise to treat such missives with caution. Political risk is a capricious beast, even for the most seasoned market observers.

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When I was younger, I had many aspirations to establish myself as a worldly gentleman. By retirement, I thought I had accomplished them all. But a recent night out showed me I’m not quite there yet.

Hong Kong-based AMTD has found its way into the league table for Asia’s top 50 DCM bookrunners just one year after kicking off its capital markets and advisory business. For Calvin Choi, chairman, this is only the beginning. In an interview with Asiamoney’s Rashmi Kumar, Choi shares his plans for the firm including international expansion and a potential listing.

India’s equity capital markets are at their healthiest in half a decade, having emerged from an extended period of lacklustre activity. The country’s positive macro story combined with the diversity of companies on offer means the outlook remains bright for 2017. Jonathan Breen reports.

Faced with a low margin environment and intense competition at home, Taiwanese banks have been looking outward for growth. But as they diversify away from China due to regulatory and political pressure, lenders from the island nation face new challenges on due diligence. Shruti Chaturvedi reports.

From China’s circuit breaker mayhem to a shock Brexit result and victory for Donald Trump, volatility was not on short supply this year. But after months of ducking for cover, equity bankers are emerging, if tentatively, from under their desks. For equity capital markets, the outlook on China is brightening, writes John Loh.

Asia has taken its time in improving corporate governance standards, with experts agreeing on the need for broader action. But Taiwan and Hong Kong firms seem to be moving in the right direction, as shown in the results of this year's Asiamoney Corporate Governance poll. Paolo Danese reports.

Chinese local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) have been one of the key drivers of bond volumes this year as they hit the international market in large numbers. The increasing supply means there is more scrutiny of the underlying risk but the sector looks set for another bumper year in 2017. Addison Gong reports.

Asiamoney is pleased to present its choices for Asia’s Best Managed Companies in 2016. In a year marked by political and economic upheaval, the region’s best firms and executives impressed on through a combination of factors including financial performance, innovation and strategic execution.