The world might be in the middle of an economic downturn, however things are looking up for China's stock markets. China Mobile said that it is seeking a mainland listing "as soon as possible". Rather than offering A-shares on the mainland, the carrier would prefer to use Chinese depository receipts in order to keep regulatory compliance at a minimum. Geely Automobile Holdings is looking to take advantage of a rally in the price of its Hong Kong-listed stock to raise US$141.9 million through a placement of 570 million new shares at a discount of 8%.

Geely’s chairman, Li Shufu, will also sell 230 million existing shares, representing a 3.3% stake, at the same price for US$40.9 million. Geely is reportedly looking to use the money from the sale to pay for its acquisition of Australian car parts maker Drivetrain Systems International, as well as other acquisition targets. Speaking of cash, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) is rolling in it right now, having dethroned China's Railway Ministry for the most successful bond sale in Chinese history.

ABC raised US$7.3 billion in preparation for an eventual listing (ah, the perpetually "eventual" listing - can we get a timeline soon?). Chinese companies this year have turned to bond sales to raise funding in the face of weakened equity markets - and they seem to have succeeded. They raised US$74.6 billion in debt capital markets this year, up 234% from the same period in 2008.

Source: "China Economic reviews"