EastWest strengthens capital market presence

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

December 5, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Gotianun-led East West Banking Corp. bolstered its foothold in the country’s capital markets this year after taking part in three landmark transactions, including one of the Philippines’ largest equity offerings and two major corporate bond issuances.

The listed bank participated in the November initial public offering (IPO) of Maynilad Water Services Inc., SM Prime Holdings’ P17-billion retail bond sale and Ayala Land’s P15-billion sustainability-linked bond issuance in October.

EastWest said these deals underscore its growing role in supporting established issuers in both equity and debt markets.

EastWest served as a domestic participating underwriter for Maynilad’s P34.3-billion IPO, which involved 2.28 billion offer shares priced at P15 apiece. The offering was the second largest in Philippine history and was more than twice oversubscribed.

Strong demand came from cornerstone investors such as the International Finance Corp., the Asian Development Bank, MOBILIST (UK FCDO), abrdn Malaysia and Maybank Asset Management Singapore.

EastWest said it helped broaden domestic investor participation, particularly among retail clients seeking long-term, dividend-oriented equity exposure.

The bank also worked on investor education and accessibility through its branch network and ties with emerging affluent customers.

On the other hand, SM Prime Holdings Inc. secured P17 billion from its peso-denominated retail bond issuance, which attracted robust demand and ended oversubscribed.

Proceeds will support the developer’s expansion across malls, residential projects and integrated estates.

EastWest acted as joint lead underwriter and bookrunner, continuing its long-standing partnership with SM Prime while reinforcing its commitment to active retail bond issuers.

Meanwhile, Ayala Land tapped the market for the third time with its sustainability-linked bonds, raising P15 billion in what the bank said was the largest single-tranche SLB issuance in the Philippine peso market. The offering was strongly oversubscribed, bringing the company’s total SLB funding to P56 billion.

The transaction supported Ayala Land’s sustainability financing strategy, anchored on verified key performance indicators tied to emissions reduction and zero-carbon building certification. It also completed the company’s 2025 funding requirements.

Across all three transactions, EastWest said its execution capability and distribution strength helped issuers access capital efficiently while widening investor participation nationwide.

The bank added that it remains committed to backing companies tapping the equity and debt markets and to delivering financial solutions to a broader base of Filipino investors.