KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 26): Malaysian Rating Corporation Bhd (MARC) has awarded CIMB Investment Bank Bhd the top manager award at its Lead Managers Appreciation Evening here yesterday.

In a statement today, the rating agency said Securities Commission Malaysia deputy chief executive Datuk Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin presented the awards to the winners.

MARC also said it introduced a special award this year, Project Finance Sukuk of the Year 2016, which was awarded to Lebuhraya Duke Fasa 3 Sdn Bhd. The sukuk issuance of RM3.64 billion to finance a greenfield toll-road project in the Klang Valley represents the largest domestic project financing sukuk in 2016.

Presented annually, MARC's Lead Managers awards recognise the contributions of lead arrangers and issuers to the development of the domestic debt and sukuk capital markets.

MARC's chief executive officer Mohd Razlan Mohamed had said the capital market had rebounded after a challenging environment in 2016.

"Effective capital markets will remain crucial to the efficient allocation of credit and investment going forward. Against this backdrop, we see growing demand for innovative and well-structured debt instruments," said Razlan.

At the appreciation evening, MARC also launched its CreditMapper, a web-based data analytical tool that allows users to perform credit assessments of corporates and financial institutions. The CreditMapper produces quantitatively derived credit assessments which can be used to supplement users' credit assessment process.

MARC said it looks forward to working closely with lead managers and issuers to bring more innovation in the bond and sukuk market, which remains a significant source of funding for infrastructure development.

Since its inception in 1996 to September 2017, MARC has rated 786 bonds and sukuk issues valued at RM515 billion.