Intesa Sanpaolo

Italian high speed train operator Italo pulled its IPO on Wednesday night, the day before the syndicate was due to release a price range, of €1.5bn to €1.6bn, in order to take a €1.98bn offer from New-York based private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners.

Qatar National Bank has signed a $3.5bn loan with 21 international banks, showing that banks' jitters about supporting Qatari entities in the wake of the dispute between the sultanate and six other Arab states have partly been assuaged.

Qatar National Bank is expected to increase its loan to around $3.25bn, after it received commitments exceeding its launch amount.

Equity investors have entered the New Year hungry for assets. Demand on deals has well exceeded initial volumes, leading to issuers increasing sale sizes.

Qatar National Bank is expected to sign its $3bn loan refinancing in the first week of February, according to a source close to the deal.

Italo, the private Italian operator of high speed trains founded by a former chairman of Ferrari, has announced its intention to float on Borsa Italiana, offering investors a “unique” opportunity to play the high speed rail market in Europe, according to a banker involved.

UniCredit has become the first Italian bank to sell a non-preferred senior bond, clearing the path for further issuance out of the country.

Italian banks are expected to begin issuing non-preferred senior bonds for the first time, after the country’s parliament approved a package of reforms as part of its latest budget law.

Italian gambling company Gamenet Group priced a €72m Milan IPO this week after bookrunners slashed the price and reduced the size at the end of last week.

Special purpose acquisition companies continue to flourish in Italy, with several new vehicles having been launched this year.

Banca Imi is looking to raise €200m of equity capital for a special purpose acquisition company, in partnership with DeA Capital, the alternative asset manager owned by the De Agostini Group.

The Russian loan market is moving towards more unsecured deals with Russian paper company Ilim signing the fourth unsecured deal this year, for $500m.