Retail Structured Products

Magma plans housing finance, gold loan business

Magma it plans a separate subsidiary for housing finance business and will focus on affordable housing segment in tier 4 to 6 towns. Read ››

Khazanah buys stake in listed Sri Lanka conglomerate

Khazanah Nasional Bhd has acquired an 8.85% stake in John Keells Holdings Plc, Sri Lanka's largest listed conglomerate, in a deal worth US$ 120 millionl. Read ››

Affin Investment Bank anticipates improved stock market performance

Affin Investment Bank Bhd foresees an improved stock market in the second half of the year. Read ››

Indonesia may up-size retail Islamic bond issuance

Indonesia may increase the issuance of its retail Islamic debt papers after seeing strong demand from local individual investors. Read ››

Vietnam bonds gain on speculation of purchases by banks

Vietnam’s two-year government bonds rose the most in a week on speculation banks have more cash to invest in debt securities. Read ››

Short tenure bonds ito be launched in Pakistan

Pakistan's National Savings Organisation will list new short tenure bonds of varying maturity to be launched soon. Read ››

BTMU Sydney's AUD note gets A+ rating

Standard & Poor's assigned its 'A+' long-term debt rating to an Australian dollar-denominated senior note issued by the Sydney branch of BTMU. Read ››

AmBank issues 6 new call warrants

AmBank issued six European style cash-settled structured warrants.   Read ››

HFIC clinch cooperation deal with Bao Viet

HFIC has cut a deal with BaoViet Insurance Corp. on operational and capital cooperation. Read ››

Vietnam's bonds on the rise, driving yields to 10-month low

Vietnam’s five-year government bonds rose, driving yields to a 10-month low on speculation slowing inflation will to cut borrowing costs. Read ››

Sukuk dominates fund-raising in 2011, says Malaysia's SC

Sukuk issuances accounted for US$26 billion out of US$39.2 billion approved for fund-raising activities by the Securities Commission in 2011. Read ››

Australian covered bonds welcomed in Europe

Over $5billion of the recent issuance of covered bonds were denominated in Australian dollars, due to large transactions from Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac. Read ››

Hong Leong Takaful eyes $987,000 premiums from i-cash

Hong Leong Tokio Marine Takaful Bhd is eyeing in US$987,000 in premium contributions in the first year of its HLTM i-Cash. Read ››

BNY sees uplift for ETF appetite in Asia

  BNY Mellon Asset Servicing noted a marked uplift in appetite for ETFs in Asia in 2010.  Chong Jin Leow, head of Asia, BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, observed that more managers are creating locally domiciled exchange-traded funds or ETFs to capture regional exposure in markets such as China. Read ››

Fund targets growth in China, India and Indonesia

  Swiss & Global Asset Management has launched a Luxembourg-domiciled equity fund targeting growth in China, India and Indonesia. Read ››

ICBC credits new products for increased incomes

ICBC introduced 320 varieties of new financial products during the first half of this year to increase its incomes in investment banking, debt financing tool underwriting and corporate financing. Read ››

Nomura becomes primary dealer in India

Nomura Fixed Income Securities Private Ltd has been granted a Primary Dealer license by the Reserve Bank of India, becoming Nomura's flagship entity in India to pursue trading and activities in the Indian fixed income market. Read ››

Public Bank and ING launch Asian Jewels Plan

Public Bank and ING Insurance launched a plan designed for investing in selected Asian markets and benefit from its potential recovery. Read ››

AXA Life Singapore launches AXA DIMENSIONS

AXA Life Insurance Singapore Private Limited announced the launch of GoldenSaver and TargetSaver, collectively known as AXA DIMENSIONS, to offer clients 110 percent guaranteed cash payouts, up to 150 percent of insurance protection and unlimited potential investment returns. Read ››

All Sectors of Asian Local Bonds Look Attractive

Western Asset Management, the leading global fixed income manager wholly-owned by Legg Mason, Inc., said the worst period of risk aversion is over, and that Asian corporate bonds now offer some of the highest current liquidity premiums with the best macroeconomic fundamentals. Read ››