South Korea

Investors flocked to Korea Western Power Co’s (Kowepo) $300m bond issuance on Thursday, finding a safe haven in the government supported credit.

The Swiss franc bond market showed this week that it is well insulated from the turmoil affecting the euro market as South Korea’s Hyundai Capital raised Sfr300m from a tightly priced five year bond. With cross-currency basis swaps coming down, and low new issue premiums, Zurich-based bankers are keen to showcase the pricing competitiveness as well as the stability of their market.

Equity investors swooped on a W1.32tr ($1.22bn) sell-down in Samsung Electronics on Wednesday. They took advantage of a share price slide just ahead of the launch of what was South Korea's largest accelerated bookbuild since 2011. Jonathan Breen reports.

Hyundai Capital returned to the Swiss franc bond market after roughly four years away on Wednesday. The South Korean car company was a regular feature in Switzerland up until 2014, but as conditions grew worse for international borrowers each bond expired and was not refinanced like for like. But this is beginning to change as the Swiss market proves more resilient to European political volatility than core markets.

A pair of Samsung Group insurers are looking to offload W1.33tr ($1.2bn) of shares in sister firm Samsung Electronics, poised to be South Korea’s largest overnight bookbuild since 2011.

The Export-Import Bank of Korea focused solely on floating rate notes for its $1.5bn dual-tranche bond outing on Wednesday, getting away with tight pricing thanks to robust buy-side demand.

An unnamed vendor has raised W236.1bn ($217.6m) after paring its stake in Samsung Engineering Co through an equity sale, according to a source close to the deal.

An unnamed vendor rumoured to be BlackRock is in the market with an overnight equity sale in Samsung Engineering worth up to W237.8bn ($220m).

KDB Life Insurance Co bagged a $200m subordinated trade on Monday in its first foray into the international bond market, getting away with the structure despite a volatile backdrop

Kakao Games, the gaming arm of South Korean internet giant Kakao Corp, has set the initial terms for an IPO as it waits for the green light to go public.

Investors poured into Korea Water Resources Corp’s $300m green bond on Tuesday, satiating their thirst after a rare offering from the state-owned issuer. The deal got a boost of liquidity after the bookrunners tapped a growing pool of green-focused investors.

South Korea’s Busan Bank raised Rmb500m ($78.62m) from its first Formosa bond last Friday, taking advantage of the arbitrage opportunity to swap the deal back to dollars.