Singapore

Asia’s bond market set a blistering pace this week, with nearly $4.2bn of deals sold through Wednesday and one of the busiest days since the global spread of the coronavirus. But although the successful deals are a sign that market sentiment is improving, bankers are cautious about what is yet to come. Morgan Davis reports.

Singapore Airlines has announced the record date for its planned S$8.8bn ($6.17bn) concurrent rights issue and mandatory convertible bonds sale.

Singapore’s CapitaLand, a real estate giant, has raised a total of S$400m ($283m) from two bilateral green loans, giving a further boost to its sustainability financing credentials.

US-listed AMTD International floated on the Singapore Exchange this week, debuting dual-class shares on the southeast Asian bourse through a secondary offering.

Singapore has imposed a month-long lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases. Bankers say they were ready for the move — but deal flow will suffer. Rashmi Kumar reports.

Nomura has hired a new head of investment banking for Southeast Asia.

Schroders has appointed new heads for Asia Pacific, tapping Chris Durack and Susan Soh to the top job.

Standard Chartered is forming a new financing and securities services unit that will combine securities services, which currently operates within transaction banking, with portfolio risk management in the financial markets business.

Singapore’s flag carrier is planning to raise S$8.8bn ($6.16bn) from a concurrent rights issue and sale of convertible bonds to help stem crippling losses driven by the Covid-19 coronavirus.

Singapore hard disk drive company MMI International is looking to amend and extend an old loan ahead of a looming maturity, as it faces pressure on its financials.

The European Union is set to make at least €25bn of budget funding available for sectors affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus, as its institutions join forces to tackle the economic impact of the outbreak. Rules on state aid and public finance will also be loosened, giving member states more room to launch fiscal stimulus measures.

United Hampshire US Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit) has wrapped up the international roadshow for its $323.6m Singapore IPO, boosted by investors' search for stability amid volatile markets.