IFR Asia Review of the Year 2009
What a difference a year makes. Just 15 months ago, the world’s financial markets were staring into the abyss following Lehman Brothers cataclysmic slide into bankruptcy. To say that the past year has been tumultuous is an understatement.
Regional Awards
BANK OF THE YEAR, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BOND HOUSE OF THE YEAR
Powering ahead: JP Morgan has become a banking powerhouse throughout much of the world, but until recently had made quieter progress in Asia. But the progress it made in 2009 in particular was notable. In a year when others were distracted by their own problems, JP Morgan delivered superior capital markets and trading solutions to clients and counterparties across the region and is IFR Asia’s Bank of the Year.
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BOND HOUSE
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ISSUER OF THE YEAR, SINGAPORE CAPITAL MARKETS DEAL
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DOMESTIC BOND HOUSE
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DOMESTIC BOND DEAL, PHILIPPINES CAPITAL MARKETS DEAL
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SECURITISATION DEAL
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DERIVATIVES HOUSE
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LOAN HOUSE
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LOAN DEAL, SOUTH KOREA CAPITAL MARKETS DEAL
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EQUITY HOUSE, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND EQUITY HOUSE
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EQUITY DEAL
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EQUITY-LINKED HOUSE
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ISLAMIC DEAL
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RESTRUCTURING DEAL
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EQUITY-LINKED DEAL
Country Awards
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND LOAN DEAL
Quenching the thirst: It took more than 18 months to come to market, but when it did the A$3.67bn project financing for the Victorian Desalination Plant blew everything else out of the water. For its huge size and getting done in an environment of severe liquidity constraints, the deal is IFR Asia’s Australia and New Zealand Loan of the Year.
Features
Big game hunting
The fortunes of the headhunters who serve Asia’s banking industry have mirrored those of their clients through the financial crisis: a severe plunge; an unexpected bounce; and a reshaping of the industry along the way. And with job-hopping among bankers continuing and their salary levels back at stratospheric levels good times are back for the headhunters. Chris Wright reports.
Why, how and when?
It has been a busy year for central banks, most of which have been conducting emergency monetary policy operations over the past 18 months to try to alleviate the global recession. These operations must eventually end, but as asset purchase plans draw to a close and the global economy improves, it remains unclear how such exit strategies will be executed. Oxford Economics’ Scott Livermore reports.
Only brave souls enter here
After seeing the huge and at times unpredictable swings in currency relationships in 2009, it takes a brave soul to venture a guess of what lies ahead for the FX market in 2010. One thing is for certain: it’s going to be bumpy, writes John Noonan.
Chasing the (Red) Dragon
The recent economic turmoil has resulted in an increased number of Asian restructurings, many of which remain unresolved. At the sharp end of these restructurings, there has been a severe stress testing of the financing structures created during the frothy years before the credit crunch. What lessons can international investors learn that will be of value in future restructurings and when evaluating new debt issuance by Asian corporates? Bertie Mehigan and Damien Coles report.
The wave that never came
Whatever happened to the great restructuring boom that was confidently predicted for Asia in 2009? Whether it was China NPLs, India, Indonesia, Australia or regional real estate, the short answer is it never materialised. Nick Parsons reports.
The Winners 2009
If you are not an IFRAsia.com subscriber, and would like to see who has won, please register here for a printable PDF.
The year in cartoons 2009
A selection of some of the best cartoons published during 2009 in IFR Asia.
The 13th IFR Asia Annual Awards Dinner
This year’s IFR Asia Annual Awards Dinner will take place on 10th Febuary 2010 – once again in the luxurious surroundings of the Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong.
Attended by over 300 of the region’s most senior investment bankers, the IFR Asia Awards are the ultimate recognition for achievement in the Asian capital markets – and the Awards Dinner is widely considered to be the premier social event in the industry calendar.