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Dealers in the loan-only credit default swap market suggest the ability to place a credit option on LCDS will develop in 2007.

--Arnaud Achour on Société Générale's efforts to bulk up its U.S. operations.

Spanish retail bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria announced Feb. 16 its purchase of U.S. bank Compass Bancshares, prompting buzz in the structured equity market the firm could use the U.S. branches to distribute equity-linked investment products.

Bear Stearns has sold USD2.5 million of notes linked to the outperformance of an index tracking companies such as casinos and gaming facility operators over the Standard & Poor's 500.

Collateralized loan obligation managers are starting to express interest in credit-default swaps on second-lien debt as a way to play different parts of the credit pecking order.

Fortis Investment Management has launched globally a range of notes linked to a managed equity portfolio of U.S. and European corporate credits.

A handful of bespoke collateralized debt obligations backed by floating recovery rate loan-only credit-default swaps are in various stages of marketing.

Goldman Sachs has moved Adam Clayton, managing director in Middle East structured credit sales, from London to Dubai.

--Bleron Barliu, portfolio manager at Red Bank, N.J.-based hedge fund ZAIS Group, speaking at Information Management Network's CDOs & Credit Derivatives conference on why investors may soon start looking at a broader spectrum of credit instruments.