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(Bloomberg) -- Central banks in Asia that remained dovish even in theface of soaring inflation may see their resolve tested after a surprisetightening by peers in the region leaves their currencies vulnerable tosell-off, according to economists. While the Philippines has already signaled it may hike again in August,Thailand's central bank said Thursday it has no plans to hold an interimmeeting to review rates before its scheduled Aug. 10 decision,reiterating previous comments that it will keep policy normalizationgradual. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the views of Asian bankers on the current standard of diligence on initial public offering (IPO). It discusses the affect of fake information about 1.26 million Hong Kong IPO by China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd. on the market. The lawyers suggest that in order to make the system more efficient the banks should make sure that initial public filings and listing process should be more clear, investors should be helped and given power to file a lawsuit against those involved in IPO and should follow stricter administration rules.

Focuses on the status of the Asian international currency bond market. Analysis of the relevance of Morgan Stanley's global capital markets concept in Asia by Maximo Blandon, co-head of global capital markets for Morgan Stanley in the Asia Pacific region; Impact of competition on investment banks; Role of U.S. high yield investors in the Asian market.

The article discusses the excessive savings in Asia and its impact on the global economy. Topics covered include former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke's concern in early 2000s that Asia's excess cash was flooding into bond markets in the U.S. and beyond, depressing long-term real interest rates, and the steps taken by some countries to make their role in currency markets more transparent.

(Bloomberg) -- Be it stocks, bonds or almost any other asset class, foreign cash is pouring into Asia on bets it will be fastest-growing region as the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Investors added the most money to emerging-market exchange-traded funds since January last week and the inflows were dominated by Asia, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Be it stocks, bonds or almost any other asset class, foreign cash is pouring into Asia on bets it will be fastest-growing region as the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Investors added the most money to emerging-market exchange-traded funds since January last week and the inflows were dominated by Asia, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. [Extracted from the article]

Yields for short-term debt in Australia and South Korea dropped almost 10 basis points in trading on bets of more policy easing. Yields on Indonesia's benchmark 10-year bonds dropped by 25 basis points, the most since Dec. 2016 on a closing basis. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Indian bonds, the worst performer this month among Asian peers, may extend losses with no let-up in the bad news facing them. The Reserve Bank of India's shock hold on rates last week led to the worst weekly fall in bond prices in more than one-and-a-half years. S&P's red flag adds to lingering concerns about a wider fiscal deficit, rising inflation, volatile oil prices and the absence of bond purchases by the RBI. [Extracted from the article]

Presents various issues concerning the capital markets in the Asia-Pacific region as of May 16, 2003. Increase in the foreign currency rating of the Republic of Indonesia, following the country's improved political stability and fiscal liquidity; Reason for the decline in the overnight call rate of the Bank of Korea; Reason for the decision of Fitch to upgrade the foreign currency rating of the Republic of Singapore; Services offered by the Mortgage Corp. of Japan.

The article focuses on the growth in the debt market in Asia. The rapid expansion of Asia's international and local currency bond markets shows little sign of slowing down. Corporations are leading the bond bonanza, accounting for almost half of all Asian international issuance this year, compared with just 22 percent in 2010.

The article discusses the growing popularity of the Asiadollar money market as of April 1978. It states that economies in Asia are growing, and so require greater financing. To meet this need, banks in Singapore have begun offering bank certificates of deposit (CD) at higher rates, attracting growing numbers of foreign investors. It reports that U.S. banks with branches in Singapore have begun offering CDs at higher rates than those they offer elsewhere, such as the Morgan Guaranty Trust Co., which offers 25 basis points more than those sold in London.

The article reports on the growing capital needs of energy development and production and examines its implications for banks and banking. According to the author, the world economy is driven by energy and rapid economic growth, particularly in Asia, is working up a need that current capacity is finding hard to fill. The two banks that have long dominated these lucrative businesses are Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The author also claims that the scale of the opportunities means that there is more than enough for all the banks involved in the sector.

This article explains that Asian emerging-market sovereign bonds are becoming rarer but more exotic. As the region's credit story has improved over the past few years, the rationale for countries to tap the international capital markets has changed. And so have the borrowers. As China and Korea graduate out of the Emerging Market Bond Index and other countries such as Thailand and Malaysia become fiscally stronger and more independent, many of the traditional sovereign emerging-market issuers are fading away. Fortunately, other debut sovereigns are lining up to tap the market in their place.

This article presents information on Asian Bond Fund 2 (ABF2), which was designed to provide greater access to Asian bond markets for regional and international investors. The nine ABF2 funds represented a remarkable feat of financial engineering by the respective managers and exemplary cooperation among the eleven Asian central banks / monetary authorities sponsoring the initiative, demonstrating promise for the further development of Asian bond markets. Under the initiative, US$2 billion would be invested in nine passively managed funds; of that, US$1 billion would be allocated to eight single market funds covering China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, while US$1 billion would be invested in a Pan-Asian fund managed by State Street Global Advisors, that is, ABF Pan Asia Bond Index Fund.

This article highlights the renewed confidence of fee-seeking debt capital market bankers about Asia's high-yield bond market. They believe that expansion needs among Asian companies will help build a broader array of issuers than during 2005. But investors look more discerning too, and it will only take a simple shock to disrupt the potential of the market. The region's debt capital market bankers, as well as hedge funds and other investors, are pinning their hopes on high-yield bond issuance once again for 2006. But with little high-yield issuance since 1998, there is a distinct lack of experience among originators in debt capital markets and credit research. Asia took 81% of the bonds but that only reflects the degree to which international high-yield accounts are increasingly setting up offshore accounts in Asia, says Saab Dash, a debt syndicate official at Deutsche Bank in Singapore, who did many of the earliest high-yield deals from China, when he was at Morgan Stanley.

This article contends that the activities of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) go a long way to building the depth and credibility of the region's bond markets. The ADB has been very busy in the region's domestic bond markets over the past couple of years -- launching issues in a variety of currencies, while invariably prising open those jurisdictions previously to international borrowers. With a number of landmark issues, the ADB has acted as a pioneer in the region's bond markets, providing local and international investors with the highest-grade paper supported by best-practice issue standards and tip-top disclosure and documentation.

This article deals with the competition among banks to offer structured products in Asia as of August 2005. Banks are seeking to cash in on high-margin products by offering their complex creations to a plethora of private banks, asset management companies, retail clients and corporates. It is a lucrative area, with product developers picking up commissions many times the level they would receive by selling plain vanilla products. Some banks are promoting some structured products that are more complex than necessary to hedge risks. And the simplest way to deal with this is to refuse any form of complexity when managing the balance sheet.

The article assesses the status of the Asian bond market as of November 2003. The bond markets have always been lackluster affairs. A combination of poor liquidity and lack of depth that comes from having high-grade issues has kept the asset class off the sight of corporate issuers and investors in the region. But things are about to change as many of the region's governments put substantial monetary backing in the form of a second bond fund into the creation of a sustainable regional debt market. The governments behind the bond fund initiative hope to encourage Asian countries and companies to invest in the Asian markets. Getting all the countries involved to do away with withholding tax may not be at once possible. But private sector companies and investors can definitely feel the full weight of the support when it's finally done. Taxation for bonds varies across Asian nations. The role of the three international ratings agencies, Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's, is also seen by some as limiting the development of an Asian bond market. The international ratings agencies have often been criticized as being weighted towards Western credits. INSET: Money talks.

Presents the results of a survey on the performance of several financial institutions in the foreign exchange markets of Asian countries as of August 2003. INSET: METHODOLOGY.

The article presents the eighth in a ten-part series of reports by Deutsche Bank on the samurai bond market in Asia. A brief overview of the samurai bond market is presented in comparison to the Japanese corporate bond market. Investors in samurai bonds benefit from the possibility of yield enhancement, credit enhancement, and credit diversification trades, while issuers enjoy funding advantage due to wide samurai spreads in the secondary market. The relationship between Japanese credit spreads and activity within the samurai bond market is explained.

The article presents interviews with representatives of BNP Oakreed, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and Societe Generale, on the subject of domestic bond markets in Asia. The bank executives discussed changes in the corporate sector in 1999, predicted trends in government issuance of bonds, explored possible developments in the foreign issuance sector, and examined key regulatory and tax issues facing the domestic bond market. The prospects for recovery of the local corporate market and the changes occurring investor base are also investigated.

Focuses on the growth of illegal money transfer networks in Asian countries. Details of how such operations come about; Relationship of a country's economic condition on the existence of these networks; Sample case of Pakistan; Description of the hawala money transfer system in Pakistan. INSET: For every Karachi there's a Dubai.

The article presents information on the Asian stock markets. In 1993, when Asian companies were rushing to issue Euroconvertible bonds (ECBs), Swire Pacific Ltd., sat quietly on the sidelines. Not that bankers did not make a pitch at the Hong Kong conglomerate. Indeed, investment bankers were calling on its finance director weekly. It took some time for many of them to realize that he was not interested in issuing ECBs even if the bonds were then regarded as the flavour of the year. Following tentative steps to venture offshore for capital in 1991 to 1993, mainly through privately-placed issues, Swire Pacific made a big decision last year by securing a credit rating and becoming the first Hong Kong company (and one of only a handful of Asian companies) to tap the Yankee bond market. While the decision to secure a rating and raise funds in the Yankee market marked an important step in diversifying the group's finances, Johansen stresses that it has not changed the fundamentals with which Swire Pacific approaches the management of its financial accounts.

The article focuses on Asian capital market, its challenges and schemes. Bonds, equity, equity- linked deals, project finance and syndicated loans faced uphill battles as investors and lenders took refuge in well-managed and realistically-priced issues. It was a year that tested the mettle of lead managers and arrangers; the year when market assessment, prudence and placing power decided a deal's success or failure. Despite the turbulence, Asian corporate ventured into new markets for capital. Hong Kong corporates trekked up north to the Samurai market for the first time; Thai banks explored Japanese leasing companies' appetite for subordinated debt; and Indonesian corporates whetted the appetite of US junk-bond investors for high- yield paper. Malaysians and Pakistanis flocked to the Euro convertible market for the first time, and Indian issuers dogged the pipes line for new equity and equity- linked issues. Taiwanese and Korean corporates and banks resumed action in the international market and in the first two listings of Korean firms on the New York Stock Exchange. Despite the growing popularity of bonds and equity-linked transactions in Asia, syndicated lending continued to increase. INSET: Asset-backed in favour..

Focuses on the impact of economic crisis in Asia on the region's money market managers. Case example of the situation's negative effects illustrated by the Asian Development Securities based in Jakarta, Indonesia; Changes in calculating assets of money managers; Rankings of fund managers.

Japanese shares gain as BOJ bond buying operation weakens yen Asian shares fell as Chinese stocks declined when trading resumed after a week-long break while investors wait for a U.S. nonfarm payrolls report later Friday that could indicate the timing of rate increases by the Federal Reserve. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the challenges faced by Asia's property market. If bankers and analysts are right, Asia now stands on the threshold of another property boom, this time courtesy of the capital markets. As governments, listed conglomerates and public and private property companies continue to shift assets from their balance sheets into listed investment vehicles. Early evidence certainly suggests continued demand from investors and plenty of asset sellers. From a standing start in 2001, Asia's property market has grown from $2 billion to $49.4 billion, a compound annual growth rate of 87 percent.

This article notes that with commodity prices soaring for the fourth consecutive year, commodity derivatives are enjoying their highest level of popularity among investors in more than a generation. The Goldman Sachs Commodities Index, the most venerable index tracking the futures prices of commodities, rose 25.6% year on year by the end of 2005, while the London Metal Exchange is already up 44% year to date. Citigroup tops the Asiamoney structured products poll for commodity-linked products for the second year running, which is an impressive feat. Investor interest in commodities products in Asia is only going to rise, and it's key that we can tailor products to their specific needs.

This article explains that given the global speculation surrounding the potential appreciation of the Chinese renminbi, and with it other Asian currencies, over the past two years, it is no surprise that interest has swelled among regional investors towards investing in currency structured products. Sim Lim, head of Asia-Pacific emerging markets sales and trading at Citigroup, which topped the poll for best provider of G3 currency structured products, believes that Asia's economic improvement is another vital factor in investors showing more interest in foreign exchange products. Sitting just behind Citigroup and HSBC in G3 currency products was BNP Paribas, while Standard Chartered was third for local-currency structured products.

This article states that over the past year, interest-rate structured products have gone from being an investor favorite to an also-ran. Their decline is undoubtedly down to the U.S. interest-rate curve morphing from a steep slope to virtually flat over the past 12 months as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, and the market began dithering about the future of rate movements. All the Asian countries have seen their yield curves flatten as their central banks have hiked short-term rates, including Taiwan, after a long period of no movement. Bankers admit that interest in interest-rate products has subsided among retail and private bank investors, although corporates are a different matter.

This article presents an update on the performance of the capital markets in Asia excluding Japan as of July 2005. Equity capital markets led the charge with US$10.4 billion raised in June, by far the largest volumes of the year that measured some 31% more than the previous high of US$8 billion recorded in March. Furthermore, this was more than 42% higher than the US$7.3 billion worth of offerings completed in June 2004. The total volume is still lagging behind the 2004 numbers with just US$34.5 billion at the halfway stage of 2005--21% lower than the US$43.7 billion for the first six months of last year. The month of June saw the largest amount of issuance with US$5.1 billion from 14 trades--amounting to US$1 billion more than the US$4.1 billion printed in June 2004. The Chinese equity market exploded into life this month, with three bumper transactions hitting the market for a shade over US$6 billion.

This article looks at the financial activity in the debt capital market in Asia-Pacific as of June 2005. Debt capital markets activity slipped further this month to the lowest monthly total so far this year, with just US$2.3 billion from six trades. After staying ahead of the 2004 figures for much of the year, it has now slipped behind to US$18.3 billion compared to US$19 billion in 2004. In the equity market, volumes are still vastly inferior to last year's figures although the divergence has fallen to 28% from more than 35% last month, with volumes standing at US$33.3 billion against US$46.4 billion in 2004. Even though funds raised in May outstripped the same period a year ago, the amount was still the lowest of 2005 so far at just US$5.2 billion from 112 deals, eclipsing last month by just under US$100 million. India continues to outperform with US$7.4 billion raised this year, compared to US$5.8 billion last year, an increase of 27.5% against the general decline of almost 30%. In relation to the market, Indian equity offerings account for 22.2% of the total Asia-Pacific ex-Japan volumes, up from 12.5% in 2004. The subcontinent put up a strong showing again this month, accounting for three of the top five deals.

This section presents tabular representations of the financial markets in Asia as of March 2005.