OREANDA-NEWS. January 19, 2015. In recent years, by focusing on the funding demand of the real economy and public-related sectors, ICBC has vigorously developed bond underwriting business, which has not only broadened financing channels but also controlled financing costs for businesses.

Statistics show that in 2014, the Bank underwrote 398 bonds of all types, and raised around RMB 1 trillion for 233 bond issuers, of which the bonds issued with ICBC as the lead underwriter amounted to RMB 470 billion, setting a new record among domestic financial institutions by total annual bond underwriting amount.

With faster transformation and development of the Chinese economy and the continued advancement of financial reforms, the real economy has shown a fast-growing demand for bond financing. In bond financing, the lead underwriter is the bridge connecting bond issuers with investors, and plays a critical role in interconnection between industry and finance for the real economy and financial institutions. To this end, by focusing on the financial needs of the government's key projects, livelihood projects, the growth of small and micro enterprises, and other major areas of the real economy, ICBC has drawn on its market analysis expertise and advantages in multi-tier sales channels, and actively guided enterprises to issue bonds at favorable time windows, which effectively reduces the bond issue costs for different types of enterprises.

In the meantime, the Bank has continued to expand the scope and depth of service by focusing on innovation of bond underwriting. For instance, last year, the Bank, by seizing the opportunity of a wider pilot program for local government bonds, successfully underwrote bonds of nine provincial governments as lead underwriter; underwrote for the first time as lead underwriter the public offering M&A bonds of China Merchants Group and the private placement M&A bonds of Legend Holdings, of which the M&A bonds of China Merchants Group represented the first of its kind in China’s interbank market and raised a total of RMB 3.96 billion, setting a new record since the appearance of such bonds in the interbank market and providing support to corporate M&As, restructuring and industrial upgrading. Moreover, ICBC also underwrote for the first time as lead manager the asset-backed securities of commercial banks and auto finance companies, creating new channels for financial institutions to release venture capital, revitalize existing loans and provide better financial services.

In terms of perpetual MTN underwriting to meet the long-term funding demand of enterprises, the Bank underwrote as lead manager a total of nine perpetual MTNs last year with a value of RMB 12.1 billion, ranking first among domOREANDA-NEWS. January 19, 2015. The World Brand Lab released in New York its annual the World's 500 Most Influential Brands of 2014 list, on which SINOCHEM, the brand of Sinochem Group, ranks 378th.

This was the fifth time the brank SINOCHEM had consecutively appeared on the list, managing to improve its ranking by moving up the list by 6 spots from its ranking last year.

The World Brand Lab gives a score to a business by assessing the three key indexes that largely determine its influence as a brand, namely its share of market, its brand loyalty, and its global leadership. Apple, Google, and Amazon takes the top 3 spots in this year's list, on which 29 Chinese brands managed to put their names.

Shortly before this release, SINOCHEM as a brand secured the 41st spot in the Asia's 500 Most Influential Brands of 2014 list, and the 7th spot in the China's 500 Most Influential Brands of 2014 list.
estic commercial banks, which laid a solid foundation for more enterprises to issue such MTNs and set a strong example. It also lead-managed the financial bonds of China Zheshang Bank dedicated to SME loan extensions, the bonds of China Bohai Bank intended to support the construction of Binhai New Area, and the private placement bonds of Guiyang City Public Housing Construction Investment Company intended for the construction of affordable housing, which strongly supported the growth of SME financial services, implementation of strategies for Binhai New Area, and the construction of affordable houses.