Société Générale, HSBC, and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) Join DirectBooks
DirectBooks today announced that Société Générale, HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC), and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), have joined the platform. There are now 19 global underwriters live on DirectBooks.
In 2021, DirectBooks had more than 2,000 tranches announced on its platform across USD, EUR and GBP deals with an aggregate notional of over $1.6 trillion. In addition, more than 150 institutional investors, including 16 of the top 20 global asset managers by AUM, joined the platform.
“DirectBooks is pleased to welcome these essential financial institutions to our growing community of underwriters,” said DirectBooks CEO, Rich Kerschner. “We look forward to working closely with Société Générale, HSBC and MUFG as we expand our coverage and services.”
“The evolution of financial markets technology is central to our strategy, as is collaboration with our clients,” said Eric Cherpion Managing Director, Global Head of Bond Syndicate at Société Générale. “Joining a global platform like DirectBooks allows us to deliver extraordinary service to our clients and remain their underwriter of choice, whilst maintaining our commitment to technological innovation in the primary market.”
“We are always looking for ways to improve the new issue process to the benefit of investors and our Debt Capital Markets clients,” said Adam Bothamley, Global Co-Head of DCM at HSBC. “As a result, we’re very pleased to be involved with a service designed to increase transparency and facilitate faster and more efficient communications with investors.”
“At MUFG, our goal is to offer clients the efficiency, accuracy and certainty needed to meet their needs in a rapidly changing financial and technological environment,” said Brian Cogliandro, Managing Director, Deputy Head of International Capital Markets and International Head of Syndicate at MUFG. “MUFG is committed to supporting our clients and the broader markets’ movement toward a more seamless fixed income new issuance experience through DirectBooks. We are very pleased to join the platform.”
DirectBooks is simplifying the primary issuance process for fixed income by streamlining the communications workflows for underwriters and institutional investors. The platform recently rolled out Emerging Markets for LatAm and EMEA to complement the global Investment Grade offering. A phased rollout of Orders and Allocations functionality is occurring throughout early 2022, with High Yield issuances coming later in the year.
ABOUT DIRECTBOOKS
DirectBooks leverages its technology expertise and market knowledge to optimize global financing markets. We are simplifying the primary issuance process for fixed income by streamlining communications workflows for underwriters and institutional investors. DirectBooks was formed by 9 global banks, consisting of Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Barclays (NYSE:BCS), BNP Paribas (FR:BNP), Citi (NYSE:C), Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB), Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), J.P. Morgan (NYSE:JPM), Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC). A complete list of participating underwriting firms can be found on our website. For additional information, please visit www.DirectBooks.com.