Standard Chartered

Hong Kong’s market regulator has warned that it may broaden its investigations into IPO sponsors, as it looks to act on other cases that have been brought to its attention.

Indonesian television broadcaster MNC Sky Vision has cut its latest fundraising to $170m — the second time it has reduced the deal size. The loan, which had been in general syndication since late June, attracted three commitments from retail lenders.

Primary activity in the Asia ex-Japan bond market was quiet on Monday as issuers and investors alike put activities on pause while they wait for the US presidential election results to be announced on Wednesday local time.

Standard Chartered rocked assumptions about old style capital instruments this week when it said it would not call its legacy capital deal. Issuers with similarly structured bonds may not want to ignore the economic benefits of the UK bank’s decision and the likely consequences for future additional tier one issuance. Tyler Davies reports.

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has fired a warning shot at banks, with both Standard Chartered and UBS being investigated for their roles as IPO sponsors. The move has left other banks wondering which one will be next and comes at a time when the IPO market is teetering. John Loh reports.

National Bank of Canada became the first North American lender to sell a Panda bond on Wednesday, raising Rmb3.5bn ($517m) from a three year note. What stood out, however, was not the deal execution but how the lender managed to convince the regulators that the sale aligns with China’s Belt and Road initiative.

Banks and corporates in the US are increasingly interested in understanding the opportunities in renminbi, but they need to lose their addiction to the US dollar. The catalyst is likely to come from market trailblazers and improved infrastructure.

Standard Chartered’s decision to extend its $750m 6.409% legacy tier one past its first call date should give the bank some cheap capital over the next 10 years, but the move has refocused investors’ attentions on the risks involved in similarly structured bonds.

Wuhan Metro Group and Jiangsu Zhongguancun Science Park Holding Group added their names to the growing list of Chinese local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) sealing inaugural dollar bonds in the international market this year.

Hong Kong’s IPO sponsors are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as Standard Chartered and UBS face investigations by the city’s regulator. As a former IPO banker and joint author of the study manual for sponsors, our columnist Clawback is perfectly placed to delve into the pitfalls for banks.

Standard Chartered may be penalised by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for its role as a joint sponsor on an IPO from 2009, amid a wider crackdown on banks by the market watchdog.

Wuhan Metro Group and Jiangsu Zhongguancun are the latest Chinese corporates to launch inaugural dollar bonds, while Huishang Bank has issued a mandate for additional tier one, it’s first offshore transaction.