Capital Markets

Fund managers see big opportunities in Asia’s private credit market.

Banks and bond investors are waking up to the difficulty of recovering their money from Indonesian companies that have been hit by the pandemic. Here’s what creditors need to know.

Hong Kong’s tough line on Spacs is intended to protect investors and stop low-calibre companies from getting a listing via the backdoor. With just two Spac IPOs so far in the city, the asset class has struggled to attract the kind of enthusiasm seen in other markets such as the US.

The combination of China’s crackdown on technology companies, its zero-Covid strategy and its domestic property crisis have buffeted Chinese stocks this year. In order for sentiment to stabilize and for the economy to develop, reforms are needed urgently, putting more emphasis on the private sector and less on GDP growth.

Asia’s capital markets have swung from euphoria to despair in the past year. The days of bumper deal flow are over, now followed by a relative drought – cancelled or smaller trades, market volatility, and talk of the need to trim back large teams. Heading into the second half of the year, the mood is set to get even grimmer.

Uzbekistan promises to transform its stock and bond markets in an effort to lure much-needed capital from abroad. Roadshows, tax cuts and easing of restrictions are on the agenda as Tashkent prepares to sell off state assets. 

The risks are stacking up in Asian countries.

Cambodia’s government, central bank and financial institutions rose to the challenge of mitigating the impact of the pandemic, with some success. There is more work to be done – but a growing focus on innovation and digitalization could herald a new beginning.

Two critical developments in China caught the financial markets off guard in 2021.