JP Morgan

Apax and Bain Capital made their move for Portugal Telecom’s Portuguese assets this week, but rival bidder Altice is more than ready for its challenger, having signed the banks behind its bid on an exclusive basis some weeks ago.

Lloyds Bank returned to the Samurai market for the first time in more than three years on Thursday with a ¥48bn ($415m) five year deal.

The International Finance Corporation has scored a double first in its efforts to further the internationalisation of Indian rupee bond markets by issuing the longest dated offshore deal in the currency and listing it in London.

Bank of East Asia has launched its first Basel III bond, opening book building for a tier two dollar offering on Thursday. It becomes the second Hong Kong bank this year after Dah Sing Bank at the start of 2014.

The syndication for Swiss bathroom fixtures maker Geberit’s Sfr1.29bn (€1.07bn) loan to buy Sanitec of Finland will be allocated next week, said a banker on the deal.

China’s Wanhua Chemical successfully completed its first foray into the offshore debt market on November 12, pricing a three year dim sum bond.

British oil and gas company BG Group issued €775m eight and €800m 15 year bonds on Wednesday, in a week of strong issuance of European investment grade corporate bonds.

Spain's Gas Natural issued its first hybrid capital bond on Wednesday, raising €1bn, after a two day roadshow.

Russian private bank Otkritie Financial Corp Bank (formerly Nomos Bank) has surprised the market by beating peer Promsvyazbank to sign a syndicated loan. In doing so, it becomes the first Russian bank to achieve a loan with international lenders since the EU and US imposed a deeper round of sanctions – specifically targeting loans to Russia – on September 12.

Apax Partners and Bain Capital have made their move for the Portuguese assets of Portugal Telecom today, with a €7.075bn offer buy the assets from Oi.

E-commerce firm Alibaba Group, which signed a $3bn revolving facility with four lenders on August 30, has allocated the financing following a limited syndication. The loan, which features looser covenants than Alibaba’s last fundraising, has set a precedent for future financings by the company, as well as for revolving credit facilities in Asia.

One of the world’s largest plastics manufacturer, Wanhua Chemical, started taking orders for a CNH bond offering on November 12 as it looks to issue in the international debt market for the first time.