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Hong Kong’s citizens are slowly returning to the office as the special administrative region loosens its Covid-19 linked restrictions. But as the world continues to battle the pandemic, bond syndicate teams are continuing to take a flexible approach to work, with some predicting a longer-term future of remote roadshows and hot-desking at banks.

The Bank of England said on Thursday that it would be changing the way it looks at Pillar 2 capital targets, giving UK lenders more room to breathe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Capital markets have not seized up when mediated through the home office. But with remote working set to be the norm for the foreseeable future, the finance industry must be alert to less perceptible problems.

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court (BVG) fired a warning shot at the European Central Bank this week. The court’s threat to stop the Bundesbank from taking part in official asset purchasing could have serious consequences for ECB monetary policy and, by extension, bond markets, just when the markets seem to be relying on the central bank more than ever, write Jasper Cox and Lewis McLellan.

Natixis’s corporate and investment bank slumped to a loss in the first quarter, results showed on Wednesday, as it provisioned for credit losses and took a similar hit in equities to its French peers.

European lenders are debating whether it is worth them taking advantage of new IFRS 9 transitional rules, with some market participants suggesting they will largely ignore any capital benefit gained through these sorts of relief measures.

When revealing its first quarter results on Wednesday, UniCredit said it would be updating its freshly launched Team 23 plan in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, which has dented profitability.

Citigroup is determined to emerge as a winner from the Covid-19 crisis and conquer the summit of global investment banking, in the face of any pull to concentrate more on home markets, writes David Rothnie.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management has hired a prominent expert to be its global head of sustainability and brought a senior banker from its capital markets arm to run its sustainable bond investing.

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court (BVG) touched off a legal bombshell on Tuesday morning. It left the ECB in an impossible position: it can accept the court's verdict or ignore it, but either decision will undermine its efforts to stabilise Europe's capital markets.

Direct lending funds are likely to be the best choice for sponsors looking to fund buyouts this summer, with investment banks still sitting on substantial bridge books, and simplicity and certainty of execution being the top priorities.

The Loan Market Association (LMA) has set guidelines to clarify how borrowers and banks should implement green and sustainability linked loans.