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--Gretchen Roetzer, an associate director with Fitch Ratings, on Marsh & McLennan Companies' new bank lines.

Kensington Mortgages, a London-based sub-prime lender that issued its 21st bond backed by residential mortgages in October, has hired a new finance director and treasurer.

Moody's Investors Service has recently begun offering its investor clients an accounting-based crystal ball designed to predict the likelihood of defaults by non-financial U.S. corporates within a year.

Nomura International in London has hired Santiago Corral from AIG-MezzVest, a mezzanine buying fund associated with American International Group in London, to set up a senior mezzanine fund.

A disappointing Christmas shopping season and poor fourth-quarter earnings reports could cause the year-long spread tightening trend in the credit markets to pause next month, according to some market participants.

Gate Gourmet International's bank debt has dropped from well above par to stressed territory after the airline caterer owned by Texas Pacific Group revealed disappointing numbers at a bank meeting Dec. 10.

Quarry Point Partners, a hedge fund founded by two Banc One Capital Markets high-yield pros, is looking to invest in bank debt and bonds, according to Alternative Investment News, an LMW sister publication.

The number of outstanding five-year Treasury futures expiring at the end of the month has ballooned, far surpassing the eligible securities available to fulfill these contracts.

A new law firm is looking to specialize in advising leveraged finance investors to help them push for tighter covenants and more favorable terms.

Edinburgh-based Baillie Gifford is looking to reduce risk across its portfolios by shifting funds out of lower-rated bonds and into higher-rated assets within high-yield and investment-grade.

--Ellen Cammer, managing director and senior portfolio manager at Smith Barney Asset Management, on whether being short this year would have been more beneficial.

Volatility in Treasuries could decrease due to the Federal Open Market Committee's intention to begin pushing up the release of its meeting minutes from six weeks to three.