Pre-migration untagged articles

For the first time since 1998 dollar swap spreads ended January at higher levels than where they started the month.

Commercial paper flows picked up after sluggish activity last week, but sterling remained quiet. It was an active week in euros and dollars but uncertainty about rate decisions in all the major currency sectors left investors looking at short tenors.

At last the news is official. Credit Suisse is no longer in the bulge bracket. That is according to the Financial Times, which may have lost some of its clout and zest, but which still retains considerable respect.

P&G Alternative Investments, an asset manager in Rome, this week closed its first collateralised fund obligation. Zoo HF 3, arranged by BNP Paribas, sold Eu150m of notes, maturing legally in 2014.

This week public sector and financial institutional supply set new records. The sovereign, supranational and agency sector weighed in with almost $4bn of 10 year issuance, taking the year's total so far to an unprecedented $16.5bn.

This week public sector and financial institutional supply set new records. The sovereign, supranational and agency sector weighed in with almost $4bn of 10 year issuance, taking the year's total so far to an unprecedented $16.5bn.

Just in case you hadn't noticed, Merrill Lynch shares are within a whisker of the magic $100 mark. With just a small amount of tailwind, they could surge through the ton barrier and make our many friends at Merrill even richer than before.

With the blackout period for US names in the Swiss franc market having ended, syndicate managers in Zurich suggested this week that one or two North American borrowers are preparing to make an appearance.

Veolia Environnement will become the first non-bank company to use covered bonds as a funding instrument if it succeeds in plans to issue obligations foncières backed by claims against local authorities.

Although it has been pulling out all the stops, there seems to be no respite for beleaguered Citigroup.

The Swedish Covered Bond Corporation launched its third euro jumbo issue in as many months this week as conditions in the market continued to tempt issuers into launching opportunistic transactions.

A letter arrives on our doorstep almost heavy enough to have been sent by parcel post. No, it does not contain an invitation to Buckingham Palace to receive an honour from the Queen (leave that for Marcus Agius very soon), but we are welcomed to a reception being hosted by Wilco Jiskoot of ABN Amro for the retirement of Peter Meinertzhagen.