Morgan Stanley

Mizuho Bank opened the Japanese Panda bond market on January 12, sharing the title of first issuer in the category with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). But instead of aiming for a blockbuster transaction, Mizuho treaded carefully – raising just Rmb500m ($77m) from the debut deal.

MUFG has appointed Holly Villiers to a new role heading corporate banking for UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries.

Chinese issuers Peking University Founder Group, Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co, Geely Automobile Holdings and Jinjiang International Holding are meeting investors this week ahead of planned dollar and euro bond sales.

Tata Steel, Tunas Baru Lampung and State Bank of India are on the prowl for dollars as they kick off their annual fundraising activities.

Market participants hoping for a surge of large leveraged buyout financings in 2018 have been rewarded already by the arrival of seveal deals. One of them is the funding to finance French engineering services firm Altran's purchase of its peer Aricent.

Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) and Yingde Gases Group Co each sold a $500m bond on Thursday, taking advantage of a receptive market.

Equity investors had their fill of block trades in Hong Kong on Thursday, with three completed successfully — and two even managing to raise more than intended.

Chinese conglomerate Tencent brought cheer to the dollar bond market on Thursday as it tapped pent-up demand with a four-part benchmark trade that amassed a $40bn order book.

Public sector issuers rounded out a superlative week for dollars with sparkling results across the curve on Thursday. Bankers are confident that issuers wishing to print in the coming weeks should find that investor demand outweighs any of the political concerns that brought volatility to rates over the last few days.

India’s IL&FS Transportation Networks sold a Rmb900m ($138.21m) offshore renminbi bond on Wednesday, making it the first high yield issuer to seal a deal in the market in more than 16 months.

Ford Automotive Finance (China) is preparing for a Rmb4bn ($614m) deal in the onshore asset-backed securities market – the first by a foreign originator in 2018. But the carmaker is not in the mood for change in the New Year, sticking with the same format it printed in last August.

A slew of Chinese issuers are wooing dollar bond investors on Thursday, as Philippine company Petron Corp also competes for buy-side attention.