Hong Kong SAR

The Irish regulators are looking to facilitate European investments into China, following the award of an RMB qualified foreign institutional investor (RQFII) quota to Ireland as well as prepping for the launch of the China-Hong Kong ETF Connect.

Hong Kong’s primary equity capital market is in trouble. The city was the top global IPO destination by volume last year — a title it also held from 2009 to 2011. But the market is in the midst of change with disgruntled investors and restrictions on capital outflows from China set to start hitting business. With no fix in sight, the worst is only yet to come.

JP Morgan has boosted its China team with a new senior hire to its emerging markets economic research unit.

Hong Kong’s stock exchange has rejected Chengdu Xingrong Environment Co’s application to list in the city, according to an announcement from the Shenzhen-listed company.

Hong Kong Airlines was among the many borrowers that squeezed through a narrow issuance window last week before Chinese New Year. Its first senior perpetual, which has been sometime in the making, soared with strong private bank demand.

Tradeweb is working with Hong Kong Exchange (HKEX) to provide the infrastructure for Bond Connect, which will give foreign investors access to the Chinese interbank bond market, GlobalRMB has learned.

Chinese private school operator Wisdom Education International Holdings has sealed its HK$850m ($109.6m) IPO, finding enough demand to make it through a tight window while defying President Trump-inspired jitters, according to a banker working on the deal.

Mainland brokerage Guotai Junan Securities Co is looking to follow its peers and list south of the border, according to a draft prospectus filed by its Hong Kong-listed subsidiary Guotai Junan International.

In this round-up, index provider FTSE Russell adds two new Chinese A-shares indices, the mutual recognition of funds (MRF) scheme sees sales of Hong Kong funds retreat in December, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority adds nine partners to the Belt and Road-linked Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office (IFFO). Plus, a recap of our coverage.

Hong Kong Airlines, whose biggest shareholder is China’s HNA Group, was marketing a senior perpetual non call 3.5 year bond on Friday, driven by anchor interest.

TPG Stallion Holdings raised HK$542.7m ($70.0m) after offloading a chunk of its stock in Chinese firm Li Ning Co this week, while Malaysia’s Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) sold a block of Maybank shares for MR281.7m ($63.3m).

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has proposed creating a new board in a bid to remain a leading global IPO market.