Yield-hungry investors spark Asian bond frenzy

Almost $6 billion was raised on Wednesday by two of Asia’s biggest banks and a Chinese asset management firm, as global investors hungry for yield gobbled up their bonds.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp SMBC sold a $3 billion multi-tranche offering, the first Japanese financial institution to sell a dollar-denominated note also known as a yankee bond greater than $500 million in just over two months.

The 144AReg S-registered offering comprising a $1 billion three-year tranche, a $500 million three-year floating-rate note, a $1 billion five-year fixed-rate bond and $500 million in 10-year paper drew strong interest, especially from Asian investors, a source close to the transaction...