The Republic of Benin became the latest African sovereign to debut in the international bond markets in March followed quickly by frequent issuer Ghana. Bankers working in the West and Central Africa region anticipate that over the medium term more borrowers from the region will access international capital markets. 

After more than a year of consultations, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the multilateral lender for central and eastern Europe and North Africa, is publishing updated policies to govern the way it operates from 2020.

Uzbekistan made its debut in the international bond markets with a US$1bn five and 10 year trade, with the borrower ratcheting in pricing far tighter than expected to regional comparable during the execution.

Garanti Bank sold the first gender-linked bond from an emerging market issuer this year, and the Turkish bank is optimistic that the popularity of the socially conscious financing tool is due to grow.

HSBC has made a trio of hires to its global digital team, with the bank bringing in three executives from outside the financial sector as it looks to press further into retail banking technology.

The Baltic’s Luminor Bank has printed an inaugural €350mn public bond, as the financial institution prepares itself for new majority ownership from a Blackstone-led private equity consortium.

The World Bank is supporting the nascent liberalisation of the Ethiopian economy.

Another African corporate turns to the LSE – West Africa’s first local currency bond lists in Ghanaian cedi.

Kuwait has been reclassified as a secondary emerging market by the FTSE Global Equity Index, an upgrade from unclassified that is expected to bring up to US$1bn of foreign investment into the country. 

Following Brexit, the UK may need to sever ties with the European Investment Bank (EIB). But what will that mean for businesses that currently receive essential EIB financing?

A pioneering block chain-based bond issue by the World Bank uses blockchain-based ‘smart contracts’.

Luxembourg has created what it calls the first law globally to establish a green covered bond, as regulation around environmentally responsible investing continues become more refined and definitions standardised.