Last year was a watershed year for Asia’s debt markets. For the first time in history, debt accounted for about 40% of investment banking revenues, according to Dealogic. The unprecedented earnings were driven by record volumes, as the total dollar bond issuance from Asia ex-Japan surged to $130 billion.
But competition is also rife. In previous years, the fee pool was spread among a smaller handful of players. These days, every man and his dog wants a piece of the action. Aside from the bulge bracket banks, there are new entrants like ANZ, Mizuho, Mitsubishi UFJ and Bank of China International, which are all vying for business.
...