COMMONWEALTH Bank of Australia (CBA) took its first steps into Japan's retail market this week with the launch of a A$120m three year issue via Nomura Securities. Only the second ever Australian issuer to tap the sector, CBA follows the lead set by Westpac which began placing paper with Uridashi investors in the middle of 1998. "This issue fits into the third plank of our global funding strategy which aims for the launch of periodic benchmark issues, Euro-MTN structured trades and regionally targeted transactions," said John Te Wechel, a CBA treasury official.
January 21, 2000