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AIIB raises HK$4bn sustainable bond

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The lead managers for the bond were Bank of China (Hong Kong), HSBC and Standard Chartered; the 3-year bond is listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and will settle on the HKMA's Central Moneymarkets Unit.

Hexaware Technologies seals $1bn India IPO

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The global IT services firm, which uses AI, is still majority owned by Carlyle; the listing on the BSE and NSE is the largest technology services IPO and largest sponsor-owned IPO in India. There were five banks involved.

Carlyle's Hexaware Technologies seals $1bn India IPO

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The global IT services firm, which uses AI, is still majority owned by Carlyle; the listing on the BSE and NSE is the largest technology services IPO and largest sponsor-owned IPO in India. There were five banks involved.

HSBC pre-tax profit climbs 6.6% to $32.2bn; plans $1.5bn cost savings by end of 2026

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HSBC's chief executive Georges Elhedery said the bank is on track to make $300m of savings by the end of 2025; the London-headquartered bank has also exited its Bahrain retail business and announced a $2bn share buyback.

StanChart, Animoca Brands and HKT agree JV to issue HKD-backed stablecoin

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A licensing scheme for stablecoin issuers in Hong Kong is expected to be introduced later this year.

Golomt Bank receives green loan from Saison to target Mongolia's MSMEs

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The facility will support the Mongolian bank's green loan activities, targeting MSMEs and retail customers; meanwhile, billions of dollars of financing are needed in Mongolia to hit SDG goals.

Dubai regulator CEO upbeat on Middle East opportunities for Asia: ASIFMA

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Ian Johnston, chief executive, Dubai Financial Services Authority, is confident the growing flows between Asia and the Middle East will continue.

Hong Kong's SFC approves first retail tokenised MMF

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The fund will also be the first retail tokenised fund across Asia Pacific.

Nissan downgrades FY forecast as Honda deal terminated

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Nissan is expecting a net loss of ¥80bn for the current fiscal year as the Japanese giant moves ahead with ¥400bn of cost savings, including reducing global capacity by 20%, with progress already made in China.

Macquarie exits Net-Zero Banking Alliance

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The decision comes after several US banking groups left the NZBA over the last six months.

Chinese EV battery giant CATL files initial HKEX listing application

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The Shenzhen-headquartered lithium-ion battery maker has named seven banks involved in the listing process.

Trump’s steel tariffs fuel Apac uncertainty

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Retaliatory tariffs, a stronger dollar and several u-turns from the Trump administration are creating an uncertain outlook for 2025 and is pushing up the price of gold; meanwhile, Hong Kong and China are lodging complaints to the WTO.

Angela Hu joins Houlihan Lokey in Hong Kong

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The global investment bank has appointed the former Barclays and JP Morgan banker as a managing director in its financial sponsors group.

China Vanke secures Rmb2.8bn loan from Shenzhen Metro Group

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Shenzhen Metro Group is the Chinese property giant's largest shareholder with the move coming after Vanke said it could make a loss of up to Rmb45bn in 2024.

Japan's Meiji Yasuda Life buys Legal & General America for $2.28bn

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The deal includes an agreement to buy Banner Life, enter a partnership in the US pension risk transfer business, and an intention to take a 5% shareholding in Legal & General Group.

Hogan Lovells recruits Singapore partner for regulatory, IP practice

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Cybersecurity expert Charmian Aw will join the global firm on February 25 from Squire Patton Boggs.

Charles Russell Speechlys hires Hong Kong funds partner

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The international law firm has appointed Gaven Cheong as partner within the funds team in the Special Administrative Region; he joins from Tiang & Partners.

Crédit Agricole CIB confirms David Maisant's Apac loan distribution role

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Hong Kong-based Maisant has replaced Sébastien Pietryk as Apac head of distribution and asset rotation, overseeing the bank's Apac loan activities; Pietryk has moved onto a different role at the bank.

Citi names Christie Chang as Taiwan CEO and chairman

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Chang, president of Citibank Taiwan and vice chair of Asia North corporate banking, will succeed Aftab Ahmed, who is retiring, on April 1.

Citi's Ashu Khullar to become GAM co-head

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K. Balasubramanian, Asia South head of corporate banking, has been appointed India subcontinent sub-cluster & banking head and India Citi country officer & banking head designate, to replace Khullar's current role.

Citi's Ashu Khullar to become GAM global co-head

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K. Balasubramanian, Asia South head of corporate banking, has been appointed India subcontinent sub-cluster & banking head and India Citi country officer & banking head designate, to replace Khullar's current role.

SoftBank and OpenAI agree Japanese AI joint venture

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SoftBank has said it will spend $3bn annually to deploy customised AI across its group of companies; the JV, known as SB OpenAI Japan, will sell to Japanese firms.

Analysis: How DeepSeek’s AI model is driving investors into an uncomfortable reality

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The release of a competitive low cost large language models not only shifts the AI narrative away from expensive hardware, but also prompts debate about a potential inflection point for fund managers, with some models potentially not surviving.

US eyes sovereign wealth fund

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Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, and Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, will submit a proposal to president Trump within 90 days.

Green bond credentials tokenised under Project Guardian

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Reporting tokens will help with digital and tokenised green bonds, hopefully increasing investor confidence in the space. MAS, the NUS, UOB and Northern Trust’s Matrix Zenith are involved.

Law firm Broadfield opens Hong Kong office

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Effie Vasilopoulos, formerly at Sidley Austin, will lead Broadfield's Apac operations as the newly created firm looks to build out the team quickly to cover the region across funds, private equity and corporate advisory.

Trump hits Mexico, Canada and China with tariffs

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US president Donald Trump has issued executive orders to place 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports and 10% on Chinese goods; the tariffs begin February 4.

Updated: China hits back with retaliatory tariffs on US products

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After US president Donald Trump issued executive orders to place 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports (now delayed) and 10% on Chinese goods (starting February 4), China has now retaliated with tariffs on US coal, gas, crude oil and more.

Updated: Trump hits Mexico, Canada and China with tariffs

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US president Donald Trump has issued executive orders to place 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports and 10% on Chinese goods; the tariffs on China begin February 4, with the others now delayed.

China property giant Vanke expects to lose Rmb45bn in 2024

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The CEO and chairman have stepped down as the company looks to solve "temporary liquidity difficulties", in part through the support of its largest shareholder, the state-owned Shenzhen Metro Group.

BII, FMO and SUSI Partners team up to support SEA's energy transition

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Sustainable Asia Renewable Assets launched by British International Investment, development bank FMO and investment manager SUSI Partners with tens of millions of dollars of backing; Vietnam's Dam Nai wind farm will become its cornerstone asset.

FinanceAsia wishes our readers a Happy Lunar New Year

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FA wishes our readers a prosperous Year of the Snake!

Trafigura issues Rmb1.5bn panda bond

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The commodities group has returned to the market for the first time in three years and the PBOC has given approval for the funds to be repatriated offshore.

Asia tech debt and equity deals, including AI, to grow 10% or more in 2025: Citi

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With China's DeepSeek already shaking up 2025's AI market, around $70bn was raised last year by Asia's tech firms.

Bank of Communications becomes latest digital bond issuer

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BoCom becomes the first Chinese financial institution to issue a digitally native bond in Hong Kong with a $300m floating rate offering.

Hang Lung Properties secures HK$10bn loan from banks; 2024 profit dips

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The Hong Kong property developer secured the deal with a consortium of international, Chinese and local banks; the company cited "challenging" market conditions in mainland China and Hong Kong as 2024 profits fell 25%.

Trump begins with flurry of executive orders and threat of tariffs

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The new US president issues orders for the US to leave the World Health Organisation and Paris climate agreement, with digital app TikTok emerging as one potential leverage point between the US and China over tariffs.

Analysis: What a crypto friendly White House means for Asia’s digital assets

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Even as the market cap for digital currencies rises, experts say regulators in Asia will prioritise a prudent oversight path rather than follow Washington in lockstep; HK and Singapore's rivalry is set to continue.

Bangladesh begins special audit, stress testing of banks, as bad loans add to crisis

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Six banks have been placed under central bank control, with up to $50bn of non-performing loans under scrutiny after looting scandal.

Convergence between traditional finance and crypto native players ramps up

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DLT’s potential to drive transaction efficiency is more widely acknowledged, while some crypto native players are looking to tap into traditional financial products; however, Apac’s regulatory framework is fragmented.

Coller Capital targets SEA investors with Singapore opening

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Peter Wu joins the firm as head of product management, private wealth, at the secondaries' manager fifth location in Apac.

Mubadala-backed Kelix Bio seals MENA insulin manufacturing deal

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The undisclosed deal for DiabTec, struck with Jalphur, gives the firm a MENA manufacturing base, as Kelix Bio continues its acquisition spree.

China intent on ‘proactive’ reforms after tough 2024

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Slowing loans, M&A and ECM hit banks' fees last year. Technology, exports and bonds are bright spots, while Hong Kong is increasingly being seen as a place to raise foreign capital. PBOC's governor Pan Gongsheng wants a proactive policy approach.

Zhuhai Huafa issues first corporate digital bond in Hong Kong, Macau

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The state-backed conglomerate's move should pave the way for future corporate issuances in 2025, which could make use of the HKMA’s grant scheme.

Hong Kong's Cornerstone Robotics raises $70m in Series C funding

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The investment in the surgical robotics firm was led by EQT and included Hong Kong's Innovation and Technology Venture Fund.

Indonesia's Pertamina NRE snaps up 20% of Philippines' Citicore Renewable Energy

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The Philippines is one of the fastest growing markets for renewable energy investment and the $115m of proceeds will be used towards hydro, wind and solar projects in the country.

Hong Kong's Airport Authority succeeds in $7bn bond offering

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The record issuance in US dollars, Hong Kong dollars and CNH, includes several 30-year tranches.

PBOC to issue record Rmb60bn of bills in Hong Kong

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The offshore tender of six-month bills will be launched on January 15 via the HKMA's Central Moneymarkets Unit and comes with the currency under pressure.

Morrison Foerster rehires Scott Jalowayski and appoints HK partner

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The Singapore-based private equity and M&A expert joins the law firm from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, while Xiaoxi Lin joins from Linklaters in Hong Kong.

Nippon Steel files lawsuits after Biden administration blocks US Steel deal

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The proposed $14.9bn deal was partly blocked for national security reasons.