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Italy’s largest bank Intesa Sanpaolo is making its first foray into the offshore renminbi market, launching a five year bond on Wednesday.

Chu Kong Petroleum & Natural Gas Steel Pipe Holdings has been forced to cancel its debut dim sum bond issue two days after issuing initial guidance. Sole bookrunner DBS struggled to price the deal as weak credit fundamentals meant the company failed to attract enough investors.

Not only have I spent most of the year so far suffering innumerable bores, who refused to drink with me throughout January because they had ‘gone dry’ (too right they had), but I have a niggling feeling that this dry spot is beginning to get the better of people.

Astra Sedaya Finance has injected some excitement into what has so far been a lukewarm period for the Asian loan market by dividing up syndication for its $330m fundraising by geography. The fresh approach bodes well for its success and will also give the market a much needed shake-up.

Solocal’s refinancing deal announced last week may be complicated, pressured and messy but for many issuers across the capital markets whose business models — and not just their balance sheets — are under increasing pressure, it may be a sign of things to come.

The Indian government has cut its annual divestment target by half, a month before the fiscal year-end. Instead of wimping out, it would have done much better to stick to the original goal.

Astra Sedaya Finance has injected some excitement into what has so far been a lukewarm period for the Asian loan market by dividing up syndication for its $330m fundraising by geography. The fresh approach bodes well for its success and will also give the market a much needed shake-up.

Debt capital market bankers and portfolio managers in New York covering LatAm struggle to find a bad word to say about Mexico it seems. That is a dangerous thing. The country riddled with risks and yet to show concrete signs of the growth on which investors are betting. Moreover, recent history shows that a healthy dose of scepticism should accompany any widespread hype in emerging markets.

There were several triumphant feats last week in the EM primary bond markets as Turkey and Slovenia defied the doom mongers to print good sized deals. In their wake, there was an inevitable debate about the premiums each issuer paid. But in markets this tough, market access is should worry participants more than the odd basis point saved here or there.

Nobody believes that Danièle Nouy, the chair of the European Central Bank’s new single supervisory board, will allow any European financial institution to fail. On Sunday she was reported to have said that this is what the market expects — but that couldn't be further from the truth.

I know my high-flying banker days are over, with nothing left to do but relax at the club with a drink in hand. But I did suffer some pangs of envy this week.