An old joke tells of two matrons having lunch at an expensive restaurant. One lady says, “The food is so bad,” and the other says, “Yes, and the portions are so small.” This neatly sums up IPO bankers’ first half: markets are challenging and they are working harder to sell smaller deals for less fee income. Bankers’ complaints about difficult deals are likely to be followed by grumbling that they don’t have enough of them. read

HONG KONG (Dow Jones Banking Intelligence) – Thailand’s Big C Supercenter PCL is planning to raise capital through the issue of new shares in a fairly modest private placement. Following the recent successful IPO of Tesco Lotus Retail Growth Freehold & Leasehold Property Fund, controlled by Tesco plc’s Thai unit, it should instead increase its free float through a larger, fully marketed offering, including a combination of new and old shares. read

HONG KONG (Dow Jones Banking Intelligence) – Despite a significant pipeline of deals, at this stage in the year ECM transactions in Asia remain very much characterized by binary outcomes. Large, eye- catching offerings generate significant amounts of investor demand, while less obvious – and perhaps more challenging – transactions (when they close) have posted poor returns for investors. read