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Moody's Investors Service is striking back against rating shoppers and is warning investors in collateralized debt obligations to watch out for deals in which bankers and collateral managers may be exploiting different standards.

Mirant Americas Generation's (MAGI) $300 million bank debt has climbed nine points to the 98-99 context from the 90-91 context in the last four weeks and could climb further.

Envision Capital Management is looking for split-rated credits in an effort to pick up some yield, said Marilyn Cohen, president and ceo of the $225 million fixed-income fund.

Stephens Capital Management may invest up to $180 million in Treasury Inflation Protected Securities once yields on 10-year TIPS back up to at least 3% from the current yield of 1.7%.

--Vandana Sharma, a director at Standard & Poor's on changes in the loan market.

Mortgage lenders from across Europe are teaming up to launch next week a trade group aiming to develop and promote standards in the growing covered bond market.

This chart, provided by Citigroup Global Markets, tracks bid-ask prices for par credit facilities that trade in the secondary market.

Agency spreads may widen out if the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, gets a new director and receives the extra $19.3 million in funding it is seeking from Congress.

A spate of redemptions hitting the sterling-denominated government market this week could prompt a contraction in spreads heading into the holiday season as investors put new cash to work, market analysts forecast.

Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets in London has hired Grant Gibson, partner at Alegra Capital in Zurich, as a director in principal finance.

Demand for collateralized loan obligation paper has become so intense that some investors are not adequately differentiating between the many managers now accessing the market.