Capital markets news | Thu 20 Mar 2025
Equity
- Eco-Shop lines up investors ahead of IPO WSJ
- Fibromat signs underwriting with M&A for ACE Market IPO Edge NST
- Peoplelogy inks underwriting with Kenanga for ACE Market IPO Edge Star
- AHAM invests in Versa’s RM30m series A funding round Edge Mail
- Philippines open to lower public float for GCash, other firms Edge
- China private equity, venture funds seek more time to deploy capital Yahoo
- BofA warns of Chinese stock correction soon in 2015 repeat Edge
- JX Metals rises in debut after biggest Japan IPO since SoftBank Yahoo
- X raises almost USD1b in new equity funding Yahoo
- SemperVirens raises USD177m fund for healthcare, workforce tech Yahoo
- Long Journey Ventures raises USD181.8m to back magical weirdos Yahoo
- Wallet infrastructure provider Privy raises USD15m Coindesk
- Blockchain firm Crossmint raises USD23.6m in funding Yahoo
- H&F picks Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley for Verisure IPO Yahoo
- Pimco-backed fintech firm Qualco weighs IPO in expansion push Yahoo
- BlackRock removes ESG from European funds worth USD51b Yahoo
- Fund bosses pile into defence bets once deemed laughable Edge Yahoo
- Private equity firms are getting rid of their equity Yahoo
Debt and money markets
- Eternal Icon’s senior class ASEAN green MTNs AAA rating affirmed RAM
- Bank Rakyat provided over RM17b in personal financing Edge
- Bain Capital-owned Bridge Data gets record USD2.8b loan Edge NST Yahoo
- Indonesia’s woes spread as bank scraps bond, credit market slumps Edge Yahoo
- Chinese banks cut consumer loan rates to record low to spur demand Edge
- CIP’s Fengmiao I offshore wind project in Taiwan reaches financial close Yahoo
- RBI asks banks to cut offshore forwards for arbitrage Yahoo
- Brightmark Plastics with USD172.5m municipal bonds files for bankruptcy Star
- Deutsche Bank to let DWS take first pick on credit deals Yahoo
Digital assets
- Bitcoin may recover to USD90k amid easing inflation concerns Cointelegraph
- Ripple CEO says US SEC dropped landmark crypto case Edge Yahoo
- First Solana futures ETF to hit markets this week Coindesk
- 83% of institutions plan to up crypto allocations in 2025 Cointelegraph
- Boerse Stuttgart’s BX Digital gets FINMA approval for digital asset trading Yahoo
- Dubai starts real estate tokenisation pilot, forecasts USD16b market Coindesk
M&A and property
- NCT buys 51% of Sabah property developer for RM22m Edge NST Star
- Sarawak-based PMG eyes acquisitions in retail pharmacy, GPs Edge
- GoTo says no deal in place as it addresses Grab buyout rumours Edge NST
- No guidance for Singapore competition watchdog on Grab-GoTo merger Edge Star
- UK asset manager ICG mulls sale of Singapore private education institution Yahoo
- Seven & i signs confidentiality pact with Canada’s Couche-Tard Edge
- FRV, OMERS acquire solar and battery storage in Victoria Yahoo
- Goldman, Jefferies cut at Oppenheimer on M&A rebound doubt Edge
- Blockdaemon acquires DeFi connectivity firm Expand Coindesk
- Advanced Instruments to buy Nova Biomedical in USD2.2b deal WSJ
- Volkswagen raises EUR360m in Traton unit stake sale Yahoo
- Allianz-BlackRock group to buy Viridium in EUR3.5b deal Yahoo
- Swatch CEO again floats idea of going private, sending shares up Edge
- Alight acquires 215MW solar park in Denmark from European Energy Yahoo
- Goldman, McKinsey see quest for European champions driving M&A Yahoo
Malaysian financial market news
- Foreign workers’ EPF contribution to retain workforce, hire local talent Edge Star
- Chip ambition faces talent crunch, funding problems, supply chain gaps Mail
- New vehicle sales at 60,189 units in Feb, Mar expected to be stronger NST Star
- Malaysia keeps April crude palm oil export duty at 10% Star
- Appellate court upholds quashing of RM86.77m fine against Grab Edge Mail
- Penang invites expressions of interest for international financial centre Edge
- Ex-banker charged with money laundering, share purchase fraud Edge NST Star
- Married couple, company director remanded over RM8.4m false claims Edge
- Samaiden signs 21-year agreement with TNB for LSS5 solar project Edge NST Star
- Solarvest signs large-scale solar power purchase agreement with TNB Edge NST Star
- HSS Engineers signs PPA with TNB for 95MW solar PV plant Star
Asian financial market news
- Indonesian shares rise, rupiah at 2-week low after central bank holds rates Edge Star
- Indonesian manufacturing, agricultural exports rise Star
- Rate cuts to help the Philippines achieve 7% growth Star
- Ontario Teachers’ fund set to shut Hong Kong office in China retreat Yahoo
- BOJ set to keep interest rates steady as Trump risks cloud outlook NST Star
- India planning tariffs of 12% on steel imports Edge Star Yahoo
- India’s conducts antitrust raids on media giants GroupM, Publicis, Dentsu Edge
Other financial market news
- Fed holds rates steady, cuts growth outlook, raises inflation forecast Coindesk
- US mortgage rates increase for first time in 9 weeks Edge Yahoo
- US govt has magic money computers printing money out of thin air Cointelegraph
- Investors hopeful Wells Fargo asset cap will be removed in 2025 Edge
- Morgan Stanley plans about 2k job cuts to cut costs Edge
- Citigroup reduces bonuses paid in 2024 for regulatory fixes Edge
- New York’s JFK airport undergoes massive USD19b transformation Mail
- US to produce tariff number for countries on 2 Apr NST
- Banco Santander to close 95 UK branches, reduce staff Edge
- EU aims to speed timeline for capital markets supervision plan Yahoo
- Euro-zone inflation revised down as ECB ponders cut or pause Yahoo
- Google, Apple hit by twin EU rebuke amid Big Tech crackdown Edge
- Global banks put their French hiring plans on ice Yahoo
- Siemens to cut 8% of jobs at struggling factory automation business Edge NST
- SNB pushes for weaknesses in banks’ capital regime to be addressed Edge
- UBS capital demands could be phased in Edge
- Fitch sees world growth slowing to 2.3% in 2025 NST Star