Asia: a key battleground for euro debt?

Want to get ahead in the race to secure a place in the top rungs of the euro-denominated league tables? Then don’t ignore the opportunities that Asia’s financial markets could provide. Asia’s issuers —hamstrung by the region’s financial woes — have been the slowest to access the new single currency debt market. But when the deal flow picks up again, the region’s borrowers are likely to look favourably on a sector that offers welcome diversification from their traditional Yankee and Asian FRN bases. Asia’s investors — in particular the mighty central banks and Japanese institutions, the kind of buyers that can make or break a deal — have, in contrast, been quick to pick up the euro baton. Investment banks are already seeking to lever their distribution capabilities in the region to secure mandates. Jackie Horne reports.