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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.

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.

Alinta Energy is one of Australia’s leading energy retailers and generators. Sembcorp is looking to grow its renewables capacity to 25 GW by 2028.

Cross was most recently chief financial officer at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing.

The Astana International Financial Centre was established to support a modernised finance sector and capital market in central Asia’s largest economy. AIFC’s governor Renat Bekturov spoke to FA about the financial hub's progress, challenges and ambition.

The spun off firm from JD.com is preparing for an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on December 11; the deal could generate around $20m of fees.