Regtech must serve a purpose Innovative new technology like artificial intelligence is exciting but it must solve a problem that already exists, according to speakers at IFLR’s Fintech Europe forum
UK/US intervention threatens dealmaking Increasingly protectionist rhetoric and the possibility of government interference not seen since the 1970s is concerning foreign investors
DEAL: Metinvest’s tumultuous $2.3 billion restructure The process involved a UK scheme, 90% creditor approval and a highly volatile Ukrainian backdrop
DEAL: KKR’s largest Japanese acquisition KKR has made its biggest acquisition of a Japanese asset, but multiple regulatory filings delayed the launch of the tender offer
Fintech companies must take AML seriously Startups in the sector may benefit from lighter touch regulatory oversight but they are still required to conduct appropriate due diligence
Frankfurt surges in Brexit battle for London’s business Fragmentation is the clearest conclusion so far, suggesting the European banking system is set to get significantly more complicated
DEAL: first UK care sector retail bond The notes carry a bullet maturity and are unsecured. Both features provide more flexibility to the care home issuer
Restricted write-off defines Malaysia’s Basel III AT1 sukuk The country's financial institutions have been increasing capital adequacy ratios in anticipation but remain constrained by a recent tightening of shariah compliance
SEC: Mifid II is a conflict we didn’t create The regulator remains unable to offer guidance on how the far-reaching EU regulation will affect US firms
Japan pushes forward with risky first loan to Iraq The Middle Eastern country's unstable political and economic situation has some worried about the prospect of repayment
Kenya banks ready for licence moratorium lifting The central bank looks set to lift the controversial ban after making progress in boosting governance and financial stability
DEAL: First commercial energy storage system project Lender CIT and developer Macquarie Capital expect this technology to take off as battery systems become more reliable
DEAL: world’s first sustainable tier two bond The $300 million deal is unlikely to spark a new trend as it combines two fairly niche asset classes
Mifid II’s extraterritorial reach worries Asian market The rules, which are set to become effective in January 2018, have banks and corporates raising concerns over their impact on liquidity
DEAL: Lenovo’s $850 million preferred notes The Chinese technology giant's hybrid securities issuance is a new feature in the Asian institutional investor market
Questions surround Spain's homologación regime The country's restructuring proceedings haven’t yet answered concerns around whether or not contingent claims can be crammed down
Giving meaning to UK contracts A recent UK Supreme Court judgment has confirmed that when interpreting a contract, the wider context in which it was agreed should always be considered
Philippines’ FDI restrictions put off foreign investors The country has seen a record inflow of investment, but vast foreign ownership limits have discouraged some from entering
Proxy access bylaws face uncertainty in Canada Shareholder-originated motions at two major banks could pave the way for new processes governing director nomination
DEAL: FGB/NBAD merger The $29 billion merger of equals creates MENA’s second biggest bank and sets the stage for further consolidation in the sector
IFLR European Capital Markets Forum 2017: key takeaways All the key discussion points from the March 30 event in London
IFLR Europe awards 2017: winners revealed All the winning deals, teams, firms and individuals from last week's ceremony at the Savoy in London
DEAL: Guotai Junan’s $2.1 billion HK IPO The offering was structured under a tight timeframe with few cornerstone investors - unusual in Chinese mega IPOs
DEAL: Middle East’s first green bond National Bank of Abu Dhabi hopes to open a new market in the region with its $587 million deal
Head-to-head: the merits of equivalence This month's issue explores if equivalence is a backdoor route for UK firms to maintain access to EU markets
A sense of purpose Technology for technology’s sake won’t help address the current business puzzles financial institutions face, nor will it solve regulatory challenges in the EU
China opens up to foreign enterprises The government is progressively loosening up relevant rules to allow foreign-owned enterprises to access China’s capital market, which has been tightly regulated until now
Off and on China is closing the doors to investment offshore as it tightens the grip on capital flows. Some of its corporates risk being left behind
Islamic finance explores green market Because of the similarities they share with conventional bonds, sukuk may be a solution to help finance green infrastructure and climate-related initiatives. But some obstacles remain
Hague Securities Convention impacts choice of law rule New rules in respect of certain aspects of securities held by intermediaries have been in force since April 1. Some practical issues still need to be ironed out
Germany explores senior non-preferred debt option The new asset class introduces an additional layer of bail-inable debt but doubts remain as to how it should be regulated
Decrypting non-GAAP rule compliance Foreign private issuers should remember best practices for complying with the SEC’s rules as they prepare their earnings releases and filings
Market opens up to masala bonds A new avenue has been opened up for Indian issuers to raise rupee-denominated bonds from the international debt capital markets
Uncertainty surrounds status of restructuring profits Germany’s insolvency reform may have improved options for distressed companies but a recent court decision on the tax treatment of waivers of debt has complicated matters
Beyond liability The process for restructuring a business in distress used to be driven by the extent of the company’s legal obligations. However, recent history has shown the growth of tensions between legal and actual liabilities
Legality of France’s exit from EU explored The presidential election and the case against EU membership have raised questions as to the member state’s options in the event of an exit. But legal obstacles would make the process difficult
Real estate investments in Spain in the spotlight The reappearance of commercial real estate transactions has been facilitated by an increasingly flexible regulatory regime and favourable macroeconomic conditions
Cyber and regulation key obstacles to fintech innovation Banks’ heightened risk aversion is preventing collaboration with smaller tech firms
PRC regulator intervention prevents debt recovery efforts Chinese creditors are seeing their efforts to enforce rights and foreclose loans weakened by increasing government oversight
Europe deals of the year: debt and equity-linked Issuers worked hard to reach US investors across multiple markets and new asset classes to meet loss absorption requirements also continued to flourish
Europe deals of the year: equity Against expectations, the difficult environment for IPOs and equity raisings proved a fertile ground for innovation
Europe deals of the year: high yield Although this year’s highlights didn't generate many common themes, there were abundant examples of carefully tailored and bespoke transactions
Europe deals of the year: private equity The market threw up a range of gutsy deals, including novel partnerships between firms and trade acquirers, and drama in the listed funds secondary market
Europe deals of the year: structured finance and securitisation Covered bonds and mortgage-backed bonds proved a ripe area for innovation, along with developments in peer-to-peer lending and consumer loans
NDRC forces regulatory filing on red chips’ offshore issues The threat of PRC corporates defaulting on their offshore debt has Chinese regulators stepping up their oversight
Banks grapple with Priips extraterritoriality Panellists at IFLR’s European Capital Markets Forum last week queried whether the contested regulation is on the radar of foreign manufacturers
WEBINAR: US IPO market’s challenges debated The market is rebounding, but questions surround tech companies’ reluctance to list, insider trading and governance issues
