May 2010

Asian capital markets: Enthusiasts need cooler heads


Asian markets are probably the place to be for the next decade or so. But over-enthusiastic expectations cannot yet be fulfilled.


To travel from the ash-cloaked, no-fly zone of Europe in mid-April to the buzzing financial hubs of Hong Kong and Singapore was to experience in reality a journey that many bankers will have thought about in recent months. Asia’s markets are alive and well, as the non-stop flow of headline-grabbing deals such as the Prudential AIA takeover and the IPO of Agricultural Bank of China demonstrates. The region’s hubs offer attractive tax environments. The world’s developed markets are struggling for growth and to be competitive and Asia looks to be the most exciting frontier for investment banking and global markets practitioners for the next decade at least.

But hold on. As senior bankers managing businesses in Asia...


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