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Asia’s Spac IPOs are best done away from home
The Singapore Exchange’s plan to get in on the rush to list special purpose acquisition companies (Spacs) is a bold move that could give it an edge over regional rivals. But there are plenty of obstacles — and its efforts may well be futile.
26 Jan 2021 -
US banks face impossible questions on China
The relationship between the US and China, which has faced immense strain during Donald Trump’s presidency, is unlikely to get too much relief under the Biden administration. The biggest losers will be US banks and their capital markets business in Asia.
20 Jan 2021 -
Sustainability-linked bonds: a win on several counts
With Asia’s sustainability-linked bond (SLB) market thrown wide open with the first transaction, there is a case to be made for the opportunities offered to both issuers and investors by this nascent asset class.
13 Jan 2021 -
Indian loans: some good news after a bad year
Asian loans bankers are expressing guarded optimism about their prospects this year. Most of their hopes are so far concentrated on India, where a mix of public and private sector deals — as well as the occasional sponsor financing — should bring some welcome supply.
06 Jan 2021 -
Buyer beware: bond investors need to get thorough
How important is reading the offering circular (OC) on a bond? Not very, according to some investors. However, that approach sets a dangerous precedent.
17 Dec 2020 -
China asset-backed notes: it’s time to stand alone
Too many Chinese investors focus on the originator more than the asset pool. That undermines one of the crucial purposes of securitization.
08 Dec 2020 -
Taiwan: banks don’t need lending guidelines
Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance has reportedly asked state-owned banks to take six steps to avoid lending to companies that will end up defaulting. Some of these steps are obvious, others are impractical — and all of them are unnecessary.
01 Dec 2020 -
Alibaba CEO learns lesson in humility
Alibaba’s chief executive Daniel Zhang has praised a regulatory crackdown on China’s technology titans. That was an abrupt turn from co-founder Jack Ma’s loose-lips policy to discussing China. Investors will be relieved.
24 Nov 2020 -
China’s bank capital market comes of age
Baoshang Bank’s complete write-down of close to $1bn of tier two debt offers an invaluable lesson to investors in China’s domestic bond market.
17 Nov 2020 -
ECB could copy Japan's special rates for reforming banks
The Bank of Japan has said that it will pay extra on reserves deposited by banks that become more cost efficient or that merge. A similar policy could well be introduced in Europe too, although perhaps with different aims.
10 Nov 2020
