Free content

Activity in Asia’s secondary loan market has picked up over the past few months as banks seek to manage their portfolios more efficiently. This is attracting intermediaries such as fixed income specialist SC Lowy, which has set up a par loan trading business in the region. But while there are opportunities, there are also plenty of challenges holding back growth in the nascent market, writes Shruti Chaturvedi.

China’s securitization market has disappointed this year with volumes so far failing to reach even half the Rmb500bn ($79.2bn) quota. But what the numbers don’t show is the amount of progress that has been made to develop the market — progress that will ensure a bright future for the asset class.

Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) priced a landmark transaction this week, raising approximately $1bn from a dual-currency, triple-tranche bond. Not only was this China’s first financial green bond, but ABC was also the second bank from the country to sell notes in London in as many days, setting the stage for president Xi Jingping’s visit to the UK next week. Rev Hui reports.

In a market tormented by volatility, where the price of going to the public markets is too high for many, banks need somewhere to turn. Many have opted for the MTN market — but more should follow.

Investment banking champions are exercising the minds of European bank executives. But it isn’t size that makes champions, it’s profits.

Reports that Barclays is preparing to appoint former senior JP Morgan investment banker James "Jes" Staley to the post of CEO should be welcomed by the bank's creditors.

Deutsche Bank gave a scare to some investors in its additional tier one bonds last week when it disclosed it expects to lose net €6.2bn, but Blog was very concerned when we took a look at the FCA’s Financial Services Register last week.

China’s economic slowdown and the collapse of commodity prices have taken their toll on Latin America, which is now moving towards negative growth this year, according to the IMF and the World Bank.

In order to calm the anxiety of foreign currency traders and hopefully reverse prevailing market expectations, China’s President Xi Jinping reiterated during his state visit to the US last month that there was no basis for long run depreciation of the yuan.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the two day old 12-country trading bloc, could soon include the Philippines, which set out plans to join, while the move looks set to push the Mercosur countries to strengthen their trade links

A report by CLSA and Citic suggests China’s overcapacity issues could be partly solved by Xi Jinping’s One Belt One Road project

The IMF’s Asia Pacific head and some leading investment houses are starting to see the gloom over China’s economy and financial markets as over-done