Debt Financing
HomePro to raise cash for branch growth in Thailand
Thailand's Home Product Center Plc (HMPRO), operator of the HomePro chain, plans to issue debentures worth THB4-5 billion to raise funds for branch expansion.
Wannee Juntamongkol, a senior vice-president, said the company will spend up to THB10b this year, twice as much as last year, to add hardware and home-improvement stores across the country.
Plans call for opening nine HomePro hardware stores nationwide this year – one in Greater Bangkok and eight upcountry. There will be 62 stores by year-end, up from 53 in 2012.
Alibaba to offer small loans in expansion
Alibaba Group, China's largest e-commerce company, plans to set up a financial service unit to serve small business owners as it expands into offering more value-added services. Alibaba's financial unit is merging with Alipay to form the new venture that will offer small loans of a maximum CNY5,000 (USD803) and virtual credit card services for small business owners and consumers.
Alibaba expands financing arm
Alibaba Group will offer collateral-free credit loans to qualified small business owners in Guangdong Province as China's largest e-commerce company expands its financing arm. There are as many as 10 million registered Alibaba members in the province and eligible vendors may get a maximum loan of CNY3 million (USD483,871), Alibaba said on Monday.
Malaysia launches USD98.9m retail bond to fund rail project
DanaInfra Nasional Bhd, a unit owned by Malaysia’s Finance Ministry, launched on Tuesday a 10-year Islamic bond worth MYR300 million (USD98.9 million) aimed at retail investors to raise funds for the country’s largest infrastructure project.
DanaInfra, which was created last year to facilitate funding for large infrastructure projects, will draw the amount from an MYR8 billion (USD2.6 billion) bond programme established to cover costs for the planned Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) rail system.
Galaxy Note drives boom in demand for Samsung
It's been likened to a piece of toast, a device for elephants and a throwback to the 1980s-style brick phone. And yet, despite all the sniggering, Samsung Electronics has sold five million of the phone/tablet Galaxy Note, helping drive its booming handset profits in the quarter just ended.
Alibaba.com Q4 net profit down, first fall in 2 years
Alibaba.com, which operates an e-commerce website linking Chinese businesses to overseas buyers, posted a 6 percent fall in fourth-quarter net profit, the first fall in more than two years, as a weak global economy slowed exports.
Alibaba Group has signed a USD3 billion loan, giving it the committed funding required for taking Alibaba.com private, sources told Basis Point, a Thomson Reuters publication, on Monday.
J-REP secures USD22m non-recourse 3-year finance facility
J-REP, a specialist provider of Japanese logistics solutions, majority owned by Macquarie Goodman Japan Pte Ltd, has announced that it secured a non-recourse three-year senior term loan of JPY1.9 billion (USD22.3 million) from ING Bank N.V., Tokyo branch. The facility will be used to fund the construction of J-REP Logistation Moriya in Japan.
HSBC launches real-time Online Retail Bond Trading Platform in HK
HSBC on Wednesday launched Hong Kong’s first online retail bond trading platform enabling investors to execute real-time trades for a wide choice of bonds and certificates of deposit (CDs). Accessible via HSBC Personal Internet Banking, HSBC’s Online Retail Bond Trading Platform also provides bond market information, which helps customers capture bond market opportunities based on transparent buy/sell pricing without any extra handling and safe custody fee.
India's Tata Motors set to launch EVs in Europe
India-based Tata Motors will launch its electric Indica and Ace EV (electric vehicle) in Europe this fiscal. Ravi Kant, vice chairman of the company, said the company will begin retailing EVs in the UK and Scandinavian nations. Indications are that the Indica Vista is likely to be launched in the UK this September-October.
Tata Motors European Technical Centre has received a GBP10 million (USD15.16m) loan to develop the Indica Vista EV in the UK. The company has invested GBP25m (USD37.90m) in the project.
Wal-Mart plans yuan bond sales in HK
Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest retailer, is considering selling yuan-denominated bonds in Hong Kong, according to Asia CEO Scott Price.
Such a move would underscore the company's commitment to supporting local communities and China's financial system, he said.
