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Korea Deposit Insurance Corp (KDIC) shed some of its shares in Hanwha Life Insurance Co via a block executed on the evening of March 18. Launched to the market with a fixed price, the W133.4bn ($118m) deal focused more on size than on price.

India’s Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) has made a quick return to the syndicated loan market, issuing a fresh request for proposals for a facility of $500m just two months after it mandated a Japanese bank for a fundraising of $100m.

GE Capital is understood to be winding up its structured finance operation for Asia as it rethinks its broader presence in the region. It has had a steady stream of departures since late 2014.

Nervousness ahead of this week's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting stymied any deals in the Asia ex-Japan dollar bond market. But though the Federal Reserve’s surprisingly dovish signal suggested that issuance would pick up soon, high yield credits could struggle to return, writes Rev Hui.

Asian local currency bond markets have performed well since the start of the year, but the appreciation of the US dollar and the anticipated US interest rate hike could increase risks, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

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).

Moody’s has issued a new set of rules for rating bank debt, laying out how it expects a bank’s capital structure to look under new bank resolution rules.

Thailand has worked hard to make itself more attractive to foreign bond issuers in recent years. But as the deadline nears for the next round of issuer approvals, an unfavourable cross currency swap is set to limit deals from developed market credits, writes Christina Khouri. More promising opportunities will come from southeast Asian neighbours.

At least three Chinese brokerages are readying Hong Kong IPOs for the first half of the year, while two more will launch chunky H-share placements soon. The trades should be well received as investors have cash to spare, but the yawning gap in valuations between A and H-shares and a surfeit of offerings from the sector mean that issuers and underwriters will need to relent on pricing, writes John Loh.

Danube Foods Group is seeking final commitments on a loan backing its buyout by Mid Europa Partners, after discussing pricing with potential lenders this week.

Colombia’s Pacific Rubiales appeared to have headed off a rout of its bonds on Wednesday after it persuaded lenders to relax covenants on its revolving credit facility.