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The nation’s equity and bond markets have been on a tearing run during 2012 and early 2013. But investors are becoming more cautious, courtesy of regulatory uncertainties and a pending election next year. The heyday of Indonesia’s bonds and stocks could be over.

A set of commodity market experts discuss the prospects for various forms of metals and energy after recent softness in prices.

The compilers of the M&E BDO ASIAMONEY Stars Index hone in on China’s automobile sector to ascertain which companies are best managed when compared to international stalwart Volkswagen. The results throw up some unusual outcomes.

A rift between the Bank of Thailand and the Ministry of Finance over how to deal with the surging baht threatens to undermine the independence of the central bank and shift attention away from an even bigger challenge: pushing corporate Thailand further up the value chain. Ben Davies reports.

Asiamoney PLUS highlights the latest job changes across the fixed income and financial markets.

Until US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke brought an end to the party, Asia’s dollar bond market was overdosing on high liquidity, low yields and — some would say — a disregard for credit fundamentals. The current pause offers a chance for sober reflection.

The sharp sell-off and big outflows from funds in Europe and the US have stripped the shine off the high yield bond market. But after a first half that featured record low pricing, net fund inflows and a wealth of looser structures, the pull-back should be seen as a useful return of discipline.

The Republic of Latvia has become the latest issuer to enter the warm embrace of a medium term note programme. With central and eastern European credits offering an enticing prospect for private placement investors, other countries from the region should follow suit.

The European leveraged loan market is proving its resilience. While investors flee the high yield bond market, new liquidity in the leveraged loan market continues to grow as European CLO issuance rumbles on. The steadfastness of these leveraged loan investors is a clear testament to the market’s true strength.

ICICI Bank launched an offshore renminbi deal on June 18 hoping to net some of the strong demand that Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation received a day earlier for its dim sum.

Chengdong Investment Corp took advantage of positive news for Chinese solar stocks and two days of gains on the stock markets to sell down its stake in GCL-Poly Energy Holdings on Monday, raising HK$2.23bn ($297m).

Edmund Leong, managing director on the debt capital markets origination team at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, joined Macquarie last week.