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Two weeks into August and the anticipated summer slowdown is still not that slow, with big name borrowers continuing to test both the investment grade and high yield bond market, as well as bringing leveraged loans.

With new issue premiums set to rise and spreads prone to soften, the covered bond market could be set for a repeat of last year’s spread widening. But this time supply is more limited, and any move wider won't last.

Since the August 4 announcement that the Bank of England will purchase corporate bonds again, much chin stroking has occurred about the differences between the Bank’s approach and that of the European Central Bank. In at least one respect, though, the BoE's scheme seems superior.

Autumn is approaching swiftly and, along with falling leaves and lengthening nights, it will bring US money market fund reform. But banks don't seem ready.

The usage of renminbi in Africa has long been talked up given China’s status as the continent’s largest trading partner. Developments over the past couple of years have been slow, however, though there are now signs of activity with several African nations visiting Hong Kong in November to learn more about RMB reserves management.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (Sebi) move to give the country’s start-ups a leg up deserves an ‘A’ for effort, but is ultimately in vain. The regulator wants to make it easier for start-ups to list and raise funds, but it would be better off scrapping the proposal before getting anyone’s hopes up.

Loans bankers have been growing hot and bothered in the relentless summer heat.

GlobalCapital has never worked for Matthew Westerman, but when a new boss comes in, the same sorts of things happen everywhere.

It’s becoming clear that the overall direction of travel, now that the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive is in full implementation, is to allow retail investors off the hook, except, perhaps, when they are at the very bottom of the stack in equity.

The Bank of England doesn’t often follow the European Central Bank. During the financial crisis and its aftermath, the Bank was quick to cut interest rates and implement quantitative easing. The ECB was still raising rates in July 2008, and didn’t start QE until 2015.

Hong Kong finally saw the first big typhoon of the summer this week. Naturally it was an anti-climax like every other year, but that did not stop it disrupting the city — although some people fared better than others.

This month, a recent announcement by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) in relation to one of its listing rules caught the attention of columnist Philippe Espinasse, who has put the regulation under the microscope.