Amid a trade slowdown, IPOs, the issuance of convertible bonds, and cross-border M&A, including in the Middle East, are set to continue.

Philippines’ Aboitiz Equity Ventures has agreed for BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners to take a 40% stake in Aboitiz InfraCapital; the Philippines government is ramping up infrastructure investment.

The Chinese AI chip maker soared on its debut as the Hong Kong banking and law firm communities expect another busy ECM year in the Special Administrative Region.

FinanceAsia wishes our readers a restful holiday season. FA will have a limited news service during this period.

Sydney-based Ellis has been leading the Australia & New Zealand rates sales franchise and will continue in this role.

Samantha Horton, group chief operating officer and head of international at Syfe, explained to FA some of the mechanics, challenges and attractions of the 2025 deal for the listed firm, and also future regional expansion plans.

Loan defaults in Bangladeshi's banking sector have reached an all-time high of 35.7% of total disbursed loans, posing a severe threat to depositors; elections will take place in February 2026.

The Standard Chartered supported issuance follows the Qatar National Bank’s $500m offering in November.

FinanceAsia's editorial team picks five of the biggest stories from the year across M&A, ECM, digital assets and Trump's tariffs.

Mohamed Braham will assume the Hong Kong-based role in January, while retaining his position as deputy global head of fixed income and currencies.