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Beyond Brics (Sundeep Tucker): As Kevin Rudd is about to find out, it can be tough finding a stimulating role after being ousted as prime minister of Australia. Rudd, deposed [...]

Life assurance AIG will not receive the full $2.15bn from the sale of its Taiwan life insurance unit until 2014, after agreeing to a delayed payment to help the unit's [...]

banks Watchdog looks at KCC share dealing The veteran head of JPMorgan Chase's South Korea operations has been questioned by local investigators probing insider trading allegations. He has not been [...]

Carlsberg will look for more acquisitions in Asia after agreeing to pay $379m to become the leading shareholder in a top Chinese brewer, according to Jorn Jensen, the Danish group's [...]

beverages Brewer pays $379m for stake Move part of expansion strategy Carlsberg will look for more acquisitions in Asia after agreeing to pay $379m to become the leading shareholder in [...]

IPO underwriting link with First Capital US bank aims to own 33% of new group JPMorgan Chase unveiled a Chinese securities joint venture yesterday in the latest move by a [...]

Weak awards after fall in return on equity Employees in US and Europe consider leaving Macquarie Group, the Australian investment bank, is in danger of losing dozens of senior bankers [...]

Banks Stephen Roach is stepping down to become part-time non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and moving to New York to take up a senior post at Yale University. Mr [...]

Seven years. That's how long it took for anyone to notice that JPMorgan's UK futures and options business was mixing client money with its own. During that period, the amount [...]

Another day, another veteran Asian dealmaker quits to set up his own investment fund. Except this time it is the considerable name of Weijian Shan, TPG Capital's star investor. Mr [...]

general financial TPG Capital's leading China dealmaker is quitting as a partner of the US private equity group, becoming the latest high-profile investor to launch an Asia-focused investment fund. Weijian [...]

AIA listing beckons AIA staff never warmed to the idea of being taken over by the Pru, their fiercest rival in Asia. In the words of a senior company official, [...]

Intellectual rights to pig vaccine sold Wyeth tie-up led to key antitrust ruling Pfizer has sold a coveted animal vaccine to a Chinese buyer, completing the first intellectual property divestment [...]

Advisory service clients told to snub $35bn deal UK life assurer would be paying 'a full price' Prudential's efforts to persuade shareholders to back its $35.5bn ([pounds sterling]24.6bn) takeover of [...]

Life assurance News analysis Criticism of AIG's Asian arm seems to be taking a toll, say Sundeep Tucker and Paul J Davies Prudential has made a battle standard of its [...]

Wilson calls merger of Asian units 'unworkable' Departure would hit group at critical time AIA's chief executive has told friends and industry executives that he would quit if the UK's [...]

general financial UBS is scrambling to bolster its Asian capital markets franchise after Steven Barg, its team leader, resigned yesterday - the third senior defection since March. Hong Kong-based Mr [...]

LIFE ASSURANCE Prudential's claims that its $35.5bn ([pounds sterling]24bn) takeover of AIA will boost the amount of business sold by the pan-Asian company's agents have been disputed by independent research. [...]

oil & gas The sovereign wealth funds of China and South Korea are set to lead a $900m investment in a leading US producer of natural gas from shale rock, [...]

Performance Along with its rights issue, Prudential released long-awaited details of the latest financial performance from both Prudential itself and AIA, which will be seized upon by investors as they [...]

Performance Prudential yesterday unveiled long-awaited details of its own recent financial performance, and that of AIA, which will be seized upon by investors as they assess whether to back the [...]

banks Japan's Nomura has nominated former London Stock Exchange chief executive Dame Clara Furse and ex-British Airways chairman Lord Colin Marshall to join its board of directors in a bid [...]

China tie-ups It was only five years ago that western lenders had the capital and confidence to spend tens of billions of dollars to acquire stakes in Chinese lenders. How [...]

general retailers An incarcerated Chinese billionaire temporarily unseated three directors representing foreign investors in his Hong Kong-listed flagship, suggesting that prison is no barrier to corporate influence in China. Two [...]

GENERAL FINANCIAL News analysis Bain Capital's spat with Gome reflects the hazards overseas backers face, writes Sundeep Tucker Foreign private equity firms salivate at the prospects offered by the Chinese [...]

Huang votes against three Bain nominees An incarcerated Chinese billionaire temporarily unseated three directors representing foreign investors in his Hong Kong-listed flagship, suggesting that prison is no barrier to corporate [...]

Who needs Chip Goodyear? Temasek, the Singapore state investment fund, last year hired the celebrated former head of Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton to be its next chief executive. The prevailing [...]

Oil & gas Chesapeake Energy aims to raise $5bn Hopu and Temasek share to reach 7% Two of Asia's most active investment funds are to spend about $1bn to acquire [...]

banks Offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong KBW, the boutique investment bank that specialises in the financial sector, will today unveil Asian expansion plans to cater for rising interest in [...]

MOBILE & TELECOMS Move would test appetite globally Citigroup hired to lead offering A leading Indonesian telecoms operator is close to launching a $500m bond, in an offering that would [...]

Miner to list iron ore division in Hong Kong Russian group is latest to secure Chinese funds Petropavlovsk, the Russian gold miner, is spinning off its iron ore division in [...]

Hesitation follows rights issue hold-up AIG fearful for sale of Asian units Prudential's expected listing in Hong Kong on Tuesday is likely to be delayed, according to analysts, after the [...]

Hesitation follows rights issue hold-up AIG fearful for sale of Asian units Prudential's expected listing in Hong Kong next Tuesday is likely to be delayed, according to analysts, after the [...]

Regulatory concerns behind $21bn retreat Investors cautious over deal for AIG unit Prudential was forced to abandon the launch of its $21bn ([pounds sterling]14bn) rights issue in a deeply embarrassing [...]

Life Assurance News analysis Delay to rights issue could be fatal, say Paul J Davies , Kate Burgess and Sundeep Tucker Prudential was scrambling to reassure investors and keep its [...]

general financial Government discrimination and open markets will be examined closely by more than two dozen sovereign wealth funds meeting in Sydney this week for a three-day closed conference. Australia's [...]

Mining shares fell down a shaft, losing some 5-7 per cent after the Australian federal government confirmed plans for a 40 per cent supertax on the industry. There are many [...]

Banks Competition from domestic lenders has edged ahead of regulation as the biggest challenge for foreign banks operating in China, according to a PwC survey. The issue rarely figured in [...]

banks Foreign private banks operating in the booming Asian market cannot find assets to expand through acquisition and face a critical shortage of experienced staff, according to senior regional executives. [...]

A leading global producer of the wood-based cellulose used to make textiles is planning a $1bn Hong Kong listing, in a development that underscores rising trade links between China and [...]

life Assurance News analysis The deal has been likened to a forced marriage, write Sundeep Tucker and Paul J Davies With the long-awaited prospectus from Prudential just days from publication, [...]

banks KPMG executives face challenge $1.5bn generated to date from assets The liquidators of Lehman Brothers' main Asian assets have continued to sell assets in Thailand in spite of legal [...]

W hen Thomas McMahon and his Indian backers were deciding where to locate an Asian commodities exchange, they turned initially to Hong Kong - attracted by its proximity to China [...]

Lone Star, the US private equity fund, has resumed a sale process for its controlling stake in Korea Exchange Bank, hoping to end one of Asia's longest financial sagas. The [...]

banks Four-year saga to end in months Fund's 51% of bank could fetch $4bn Lone Star, the US private equity fund, has resumed a sale process for its controlling stake [...]

Banks The head of Deutsche Bank's China business is to join ICBC, the mainland's top lender as part of plans to lure senior western-based executives to government-controlled institutions. Deutsche Bank [...]

Asia chief plays down AIA takeover concerns Faith is put in 320,000 sales agents The head of Prudential's Asian operations has dismissed fears that a takeover of AIG's regional business [...]

banks Macquarie and Deutsche Bank surprised the investment banking industry yesterday when they were named among five foreign banks chosen to assist Agricultural Bank of China with its initial public [...]

Rob who? That was the reaction in Asia yesterday to news that Rob Devey, head of Prudential's UK and European operations, is to moonlight as the insurer's integration head as [...]

GENERAL FINANCIAL The Carlyle Group has raised $2.6bn for its third Asian buy-out fund, underlining investor interest in emerging markets. Although less than the $4bn targeted when Carlyle started raising [...]