HSBC

Armenia released price guidance for a 10 year dollar bond at 7.625% area on Thursday morning and the book size is already past the $500m target size.

Bulgaria was offering generous premiums on its triple tranche Eurobond on Thursday. But while bankers said pricing looks cheap, they questioned whether the 20 year tranche would sell well.

Cairo headquartered African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has requested proposals for an international loan of around $500m, said bankers.

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AG Hybrid Financing, an international unit of Belgium insurer Ageas, is looking to tender its sole remaining perpetual subordinated bond, while Ageas's Belgian unit AG Insurance has mandated banks to arrange investor meetings for a Solvency II compliant bond.

Italian lender Intesa Sanpaolo, the second largest by assets in the country, closed its first Formosa deal on March 13, a 5.25% three year bond that raised Rmb425m ($67.9m).

BPCE made its debut in the offshore renminbi (CNH) market on March 18, pricing a 10 year non call five trade. The transaction meant the French lender joined a series of non-Chinese banks that have tapped the dim sum bond market to beef up their Basel III tier two capital buffer.

Guotai Junan Hong Kong, a subsidiary of Guotai Junan Securities, is in the market for a fundraising of HK$5bn ($643.8m), with six mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners.

The Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait priced its five year Eurobond at the top of guidance on Wednesday after a two day execution.

Bulgaria has indicated that it is considering up to three tranches with a maximum maturity of 20 years for its long awaited euro-denominated bond.

The development of free trade zones is picking up pace with the Guangdong pilot area expected to open for business as early as March 18 and at least two more to follow soon. The launches come as new measures regulating offshore funding for entities in the Shanghai FTZ are being tested out.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has identified five banks it considers to be systemically important to the city’s financial markets. As a result of their new status, these banks will be subject to more onerous capital requirements from 2016.