Improve disclosure rules to strengthen bond market

AS much as bankers chirp about the stunning revival of new deals in the Singapore dollar bond market in the second half of the year, the reality for issuers looking to sell riskier corporate debt has remained rather less sparkling.

Only five small- and mid-cap companies based in Singapore have tapped the local bond market since June, with some of them appearing to lean quite heavily on backing from parties related to the issuer to underwrite the retap.

The trend is emerging as private bank clients, who in the past could be relied upon to buy anything with a 6 per cent or more coupon, have grown more discerning about the minimum reward they get for their risk when it comes to high-yield issuers with more aggressive debt profiles.