United States

Scotiabank looks set to enter the US private placement market, after it hired an experienced banker from National Australia Bank.

Jason Manske, the chief hedging officer and head of global derivatives and liquid markets at insurance giant MetLife, has joined the International Swaps and Derivatives Association's board of directors.

Options volumes were up 11% in exchanges around the world last year, while futures were down 6.6%, according to new data unveiled by the Futures Industry Association.

Chinese data centre operator GDS Holdings has opened a follow-on placement of its American Depository Shares (ADS), eyeing around $200m.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have hardened their stances on cryptocurrency markets, amid wider market concerns about initial coin offerings and the launch of bitcoin futures.

Dalian Wanda Group has mandated banks to start work on a possible IPO of its sports assets, said sources close to the matter.

Volumes in the US high yield market were given a boost on Monday from a $2.5bn dual tranche deal from T-Mobile, which the mobile operator will use to refinance old debt.

The Index Industry Association on Monday revealed that its members administered about 3.29m indices around the world, with more than 95% of those referencing equities.

Investment grade loans bankers are ready to stump up big tickets for bridge loans, and deals are coming their way. Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical group, is readying an $11.6bn debt-financed acquisition of Bioverativ, the blood disorder treatment company, and banks are set to launch at least one other M&A loan into syndication this week. Michael Turner reports.

The riskiest end of the US high yield market is heating up, after restaurant chain Arby’s priced a triple-C rated bond on Thursday at levels some bankers said would draw in other low-rated borrowers.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday slapped down the possibility of new cryptocurrency exchange traded funds until “significant outstanding questions” were answered with regards to investor protections.

China’s FX watchdog tells corporates to prepare for more volatility in the RMB exchange rate, the chief of China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) criticises illegal activities in the banking sector, and a domestic Chinese credit rating agency moves US sovereign rating as a result of the recent tax cut.