Asia collar financing surges on back of Covid-19 volatility

A sudden surge in options-based structures to finance share acquisition deals in Asia is driven by coronavirus concerns, say dealers, but it may be the start of a longer-term structural shift. Historically, most share acquisitions in the region have been financed through margin loans, in which the purchaser pledges securities to borrow money from a bank. If the value of the shares falls, borrowers face a margin call or early termination of the loan, but if it rises they keep all the upside. Th