Northeast Asia

Taiwan’s Chailease International Finance Corp has launched its fifth loan of the year to the market. It is eyeing up to $100m through its Thailand subsidiary.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (Samr) has concluded a five month investigation into Luckin Coffee over unfair competition, fining the company and nearly four dozen others that were also involved a total of Rmb61m ($9m).

CCB Leasing’s plans to raise $500m were scuppered after markets tanked and investor sentiment took a hit on Monday. The Chinese firm was forced to adjust its expectations for a smaller $300m bond.

Formosa Plastics Corp is preparing to set a new pricing benchmark with its planned $2bn loan, which bankers reckon could set a record low for a borrower from Taiwan. If the company succeeds, this could set a dangerous precedent for the long-term health of Asia’s loan syndication market.

Kingsoft Cloud Holdings has hit the market with a follow-on offering of new and existing American Depository Shares (ADS).

Ant Group is one step closer to launching its blockbuster dual listing in the Mainland and Hong Kong, after the Shanghai bourse gave its blessing to the Star market leg of the IPO.

Country Garden Holdings Co saw its dollar bond prices spike on Friday following a ratings upgrade from Moody’s — a move that is set to allow the property developer expand its investor base and lower its funding costs.

Ming Yuan Cloud Holdings has sealed its Hong Kong listing at the top of the marketed range, netting HK$6.2bn ($796.6m) following a strong turnout from sovereign wealth funds and long-only investors.

In this round-up, Ant Group receives blessing for the Mainland portion of its jumbo dual listing, the September benchmark lending rate remains unchanged, and a large securities house is in the making as Guolian Securities plans to acquire a bigger rival.

Covid-19 has fundamentally changed how the world operates — and capital markets are no exception. In Japan, it has shown the potential of the bond market to serve the common good.

The Bank of Japan has used every implement in the monetary policy toolbox to try to kick-start the economy. Does it have any tricks left to fight the impact of the coronavirus? Matthew Thomas reports.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spurred a shift in Japan’s socially responsible investment (SRI) bond market, which has long supported green deals but is now turning its focus to other environmental, social and governance products.