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Fortis Investments is plotting to grow markedly its U.S. assets under management and plans to become a regular buyer of structured finance assets as soon as this month.

Fixed-income professionals are starting to express concern about the effects of the impending Homeland Investment Act with its guidelines for implementation due to come out by year-end.

This chart, provided by Citigroup Global Markets, tracks bid-ask prices for par credit facilities that trade in the secondary market. It also tracks facility amounts, ratings, pricing and maturities.

The Sentinel Bond Fund may rotate 10-15% of its allocation out of mortgage-backed securities and into Treasuries if the yield on the 10-year Treasury backs up to between 4.375 and 4.5%.

American Skiing Co. has scored a new $230 million senior secured credit facility as part of a wider $320 million refinancing that slashes borrowing costs and pushes out maturities.

Prices on distressed credits with exposure to asbestos claims including Owens Corning, W.R. Grace and USG Corp. are skyrocketing and could rise farther on the increasing prospects for tort reform.

Wall Street dealers will convene this week under the auspices of The Bond Market Association for the first time to discuss the burgeoning business in offering credit protection on asset-backed bonds.

Asset-backed commercial paper arbitrage conduit sponsors are looking at collateralized debt obligation and structured investment vehicle technology in order to extract costs from their vehicles, according to London-based lawyers who are receiving inquiries on the subject.

Distressed credit investors are tipping companies with sugar- and white flour-related products as possible casualties of the low-carbohydrate fad.

Deutsche Bank traded a total of $57 million of Boston Generating's debt at 95-97 in two trades last week.

Despite a recent back up in Treasury yields on speculation the dollar's fall will spook foreign investors, a weaker greenback may actually bode well for corporate spreads in the long term, according to credit strategists.