Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse’s leadership of Singapore’s corporate and investment banking market makes it the clear winner of Asiamoney’s best corporate and investment bank award.
Be it in terms of deal numbers or volumes, share of wallet, diversity of product offerings or the calibre of clients in its roster, Credit Suisse stands apart. In the year to the end of May, the firm’s investment banking and capital markets (IBCM) division – with Singapore-based Asia Pacific co-head Edwin Low at the helm, working with Kuan Ern Tan, head of Singapore coverage IBCM APAC and deputy Singapore CEO – executed a total of 27 deals, the most among its international peers. This spanned 12 M&A transactions, six equity capital markets deals and nine debt capital markets trades.
Its share of wallet in Singapore among pure-play investment banks also pipped that of its rivals, showing that Credit Suisse is reaping the rewards of its strong franchise in the city-state.
And then there is the Swiss bank’s impressive client base. On the ECM side, it was one of two sponsors on gaming firm Razer’s $608 million IPO in Hong Kong, the first chunky listing in Hong Kong of a Singapore company.
It also worked on internet firm Sea’s $989 million New York listing, the first Singapore internet company to list in the US since 2000.
CS continued its work with property companies Oxley and the Keppel Group, while also helping Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings acquire a majority stake in Global Healthcare Exchange, a US firm known for its electronic trading exchange, electronic payment solution and supply chain solutions.
Away from real estate and technology names, Credit Suisse was also involved in a range of deals for financial institutions, running multiple dollar- and sterling-denominated bonds for Singaporean lender United Overseas Bank, as well as a sterling covered bond for Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. The Swiss bank is also one of just a few international banks playing in the Singapore dollar bond market, leading fundraisings for the likes of Fragrance Group, ESR Reit and Olam during Asiamoney’s awards period.
The close collaboration of Credit Suisse’s investment banking team with its private banking arm has also gone from strength to strength, helping the firm further cement its relationships with numerous clients. Credit Suisse private bank was a cornerstone investor in Sasseur Reit’s S$396 million ($283 million) IPO in March, KBS US Reit’s $448 million listing in November 2017, and in HRnetGroup’s S$174 million float in June last year. It also anchored Razer’s Hong Kong listing.