JP Morgan

Shinhan Financial Group Co’s debut dollar Basel III additional tier one (AT1), priced on Tuesday, sparked a debate between Asian bankers, analysts and investors. The deal was rare, being issued through the bank’s holding company rather than using the opco structure which is much more common in Asia. That left many wondering what premium, if any, issuers must pay for holdco deals, writes Addison Gong.

Shinhan Financial Group Co on Tuesday issued its debut dollar Basel III additional tier one deal at the holding company level, becoming one of the very few Asian issuers to have done so. But bankers, analysts and investors were split on whether and how much the holdco premium was because of a lack of precedents in Asia.

Kommunalbanken's sterling tap was the sole deal in the public sector market on Tuesday, following a similar transaction by Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten on Monday.

Speculative grade debt buyers believe borrowers will keep deleveraging, according to an August credit investor survey by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. But fund managers also think the market is failing to price leverage correctly.

Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten kept the sterling tap running as the sole deal in the primary SSA market on Monday, with a Norwegian agency lining up to follow it on Tuesday.

The International Finance Corp drew one of the highest BondMarker scores of the year so far with its return to five year dollars after two years away. The trade came in a week of few, but very well received, deals, with the European Stability Mechanism scoring its highest average score of 2018 so far.

Rating: B2/CCC+/BB-

South Africa state-owned utility Eskom’s return to the international bond markets on Thursday was hailed as proof of the faith investors have in Cyril Ramaphosa, the country's president. And it could well mark the beginning of the country’s rehabilitation in the debt capital markets as Eskom is widely thought of as South Africa’s biggest and most public financial problem. Francesca Young reports.

Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund that invests for the government of Saudi Arabia, is seeking global bank lenders for a debut loan. Banks, short of new deals in the region and eager to get closer to a country growing more reliant on capital markets, have been quick to show their interest. Silas Brown reports.

HDFC Asset Management Co has raked in Rp28bn ($407.9m) from its IPO after a big show of demand from institutional and non-institutional investors.

Mainland telecommunications infrastructure giant China Tower raised HK$54.3bn ($6.9bn) this week after getting its mammoth float across the line at the bottom of guidance.

India’s most valuable lender, HDFC Bank, showed why it deserves the title this week, as it bagged $2.2bn from a dual-tranche fundraising that combined soaring demand for its shares at home and abroad. John Loh and Jonathan Breen report.