Singapore

AL Learning, an education company backed by private equity firm Advent International, has approached banks for a S$178m ($128.8m) loan through three mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners.

HRnetGroup priced its S$174m ($126m) Singapore IPO at the top of the indicative range on Thursday as investors bought into its “phenomenal entrepreneur story”, said bankers.

Singapore IPOs are heating up as NetLink Trust began drumming up interest on Tuesday for a $1.5bn IPO, set to be one of the country’s largest this year, with AEP Reit expected to follow soon.

Singapore’s HRnetGroup is set to price its IPO at the top of guidance after investors from all walks of life turned up for a piece of the S$174m ($126.0m) float, according to sources close to the deal.

Deutsche Bank has made changes to its Asia loan syndications team, promoting Birendra Baid to head up the division, succeeding Amit Khattar who is taking up a broader role.

United Overseas Bank is understood to have hired a former Standard Chartered banker as a senior director, corporate finance, within investment banking.

The US Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued an order filing and settling charges against David Liew for spoofing, attempted manipulation and manipulation in the gold and silver futures markets.

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) is inviting the public to comment on some proposed changes to rubber derivatives on its commodity platform, the Singapore Commodity Exchange (SICOM).

Singapore’s HRnetGroup is closing books on its S$174m ($125.7m) IPO a day earlier than planned after investors jumped onboard the deal.

Singaporean broadband provider NetLink Trust is set to begin investor education this week for its IPO, which could raise around $1.5bn, according to a banker close to the deal.

DBS Group sold its first senior unsecured bond in three years on Thursday, sealing a floating rate 2020 at a record tight spread for any Asia ex-Japan bank so far this year.

HSBC Holdings stormed into the Singapore dollar bank capital market on June 1 with a S$1bn ($722m) additional tier one that notched up a number of firsts, as the issuer took advantage of the liquidity and stability of the currency.