South Korea

Equity markets in Asia went into a tailspin on Tuesday after trade tensions between the US and China ratcheted up. While the region’s bourses found some support in the following days, more disruption is probably on the way. Rashmi Kumar reports.

South Korea’s GS Caltex Corp had five times the demand for its $300m bond on Wednesday, allowing it to pull off an exceptional 30bp price tightening.

Korea Development Bank sold a dual-listed offshore renminbi bond on Tuesday amid volatile markets. But it achieved the largest size for a CNH bond issue in more than a month, while also pricing inside one of its peers.

The Export-Import Bank of Korea returned to the Swiss franc bond market on Thursday, capitalising on an arbitrage window against its dollar curve.

Social bonds in Asia have been rare, to say the least. But with Industrial Bank of Korea preparing for the region’s first dollar-denominated social bond issuance, the potential for the market is huge, writes Jasper Cox.

Industrial Bank of Korea mandated banks for a social bond issuance on Tuesday, viewing the product as a natural fit for the first transaction from its socially responsible bond framework. Meanwhile, ICBC Asia is looking to sell a new green deal.

Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second largest carrier, fell victim to the rising interest rate environment, cancelling a senior perpetual bond sale on Thursday. While the notes had a relatively investor friendly structure for a perp, credit analysts did not see much value in the deal.

Strong investor demand for Export-Import Bank of Korea’s renminbi credit took the issuer back to the Formosa bond market on Thursday for a Rmb1.5bn ($234.8bn) outing. The transaction came just over three months after the policy bank sealed a public deal in the same market.

NH Investment & Securities added W245.6bn ($228.4m) to its coffers from an overnight sell-down in Hyundai Steel on Thursday, pricing the trade in the middle of the indicative range.

Morgan Stanley’s private equity arm has raised W210.5bn ($196.5m) from a block sale of Hyundai Rotem Co shares.

Hyundai Capital America took advantage of investors’ newfound love of floating rate notes on Monday, sealing a $1.3bn triple-tranche deal led by a three year floater.

Morgan Stanley’s private equity arm is selling shares in South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem for the third time this year, aiming to raise W220bn ($200m) with the latest deal.