North America

Boeing faced down turbulence on Thursday with a $4.9bn bond issue, after markets reacted to a spike in Covid-19 cases days ahead of the US presidential election.

Capital markets players have a variety of stances on the forthcoming US presidential election. A survey by UBS this week found 51% of wealthy US investors wanted Joe Biden to win, while 55% of business owners favoured Donald Trump.

The US presidential election is next week but, unlike the rest of the world, capital markets professionals are not rooting for Joe Biden or the incumbent, Donald Trump, to win. Instead, they just want a clear result that will spur issuance for the rest of the year. Sam Kerr, Mike Turner, Lewis McLellan, Mariam Meskin, Frank Jackman and Aidan Gregory report.

New Oriental Education & Technology Group, one of China’s largest private education companies, has kicked off bookbuilding for a Hong Kong secondary listing worth around $1.4bn.

Chinese data centre operator GDS Holdings has pocketed HK$12.9bn ($1.67bn) from its secondary offering on Hong Kong’s stock exchange.

An ESG think tank believes that the European Central Bank should drop Alberta’s euro bonds from its list of eligible marketable assets, as a punishment for its support for polluting industries. But while it is a laudable aim, it is not practicable.

HSBC's credit and equities business lines were the standout performers in the global banking and markets division (GBM) in the third quarter, the bank's results showed on Tuesday. Meanwhile, group chief executive Noel Quinn said the firm was adapting its business model to chronic low interest rates.

Bankers are confident that Canadian covered bond issuance will resume after the Bank of Canada withdrew the repo eligibility of retained covered bonds, while honouring existing repo deals. But bankers are split as to whether supply will restart this year or be deferred until next year.

Trading levels given are bid-side spreads versus mid-swaps and/or an underlying benchmark and bid-yields from the close of business on Monday, October 26. The source for secondary trading levels is ICE Data Services.

Ping An Insurance-backed Lufax Holdings has covered its $2.36bn US listing. Global heavyweight investors flocked to the long-awaited deal.

Total Play Telecomunicaciones, the Mexican telecommunications company, is approaching international bond investors for the first time. With some EM investors saying they are ready for a pre-US election lull in bond issuance and mixed fortunes for recent new Latin America deals, it could provide a good test of the state of play in the region’s primary markets.

Barclays enjoyed a record quarter in equities, but in its advisory and equity capital markets it lagged behind competitors, it showed in third quarter results on Friday.