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Mark Northway, global head of structured credit at Rabobank in London, has left the firm.

Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein has hired TD's former exotic equity head in London.

Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein has hired TD's former head of equity exotics in London.

An estimated GBP350 million (USD618 million) in notional has been traded on the sterling iTraxx credit-default swap index, SDI-75, since its launch late November (DW, 11/23). Traders say demand has been driven by U.K. fund managers hedging sterling bond portfolios, noting protection buying is in sizes of GBP5 million plus. "With trades done in decent sizes it indicates funds are matching liabilities," said one credit official at a U.K. house.

Sal. Oppenheim, a German private bank, is looking to use variance swaps for the first time.

Equity derivative officials in Korea are anticipating an upswing in call-option-spread components in equity-linked notes, replacing the popular barrier-option plays that have been a huge business in the last few years.

ING Financial Markets is considering structuring equity-linked deals on Turkish underlying on the back of growing investor appetite for emerging markets.

Barclays Capital has hired a BNP Paribas salesman for its investor solutions group in New York

Hedge Fund GSO Capital Partners has launched its first collateralized loan obligation since taking over the collateralized debt obligation business of RBC Capital Markets last summer.

Adelphia Communications' was expecting the bidding process for its assets to end.

Mirant Corp.'s bank debt jumped 10 points as the company converted $4.8 billion of debt into equity last week.

The $733 million credit backing the leveraged buyout of Deluxe Film by MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings is offering rich pricing to investors who are weighing potential return against potential challenges for the company.