MUFG

The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA) completed its loan refinancing last week and grew the deal from $320.5m to $400m in syndication after strong support from lenders, according to a lead banker.

MUFG has hired a banker into a senior job in its financial institutions group team in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as the bank looks to further expand headcount in this market.

MUFG has hired Christina Nilsson as a senior relationship manager in its London office, as part of a drive to build out its distribution network.

Oman locked down $1.5bn this week, pricing “wisely” with a decent new issue premium and kicking off a busy few weeks of issuance from the Gulf Corporation Council’s oil rich, but cash poor, sovereigns as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia ready trades.

Siong Ooi, who until recently was head of the Asia Pacific syndicated and leveraged finance unit at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML), is understood to be heading to Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) in December, according to multiple sources.

Ghana Coco Board (Cocobod), which oversees the processing and marketing of cocoa in the African country, has named the 23 international lenders providing its yearly loan of $1.8bn.

Singapore-based auto leasing company Ethoz Group has attracted commitments equalling the base amount of its up to S$120m ($89m) loan, according to a source.

A veteran loans banker most recently with Bank of America Merrill Lynch is tipped for a senior role at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ has hired a banker for its loans team in Singapore, according to sources.

Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) signed a Sr5bn ($1.3bn) Islamic loan this week, having already secured $3.8bn in dollar loans this year.

Details have emerged on a $900m triple-tranche borrowing for Mercuria Asia Group Holdings and Mercuria Energy Trading, which has launched into syndication.

UK supermarket chain WM Morrison Supermarkets, better known as Morrison’s, has triggered an extension option on its £1.35bn revolving credit facility.