Pre-migration untagged articles

The summer lull in the league tables deepened this week. Citigroup, Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank continue their reign at the top of both league tables one and two. Société Générale was the only mover in table one, inching up one notch into 17th position. One of its deals was a Eu100m one year note at Euribor flat for Banesto Financial Products.

Latin American governments continued with their external debt reduction plans this week. Mexico's finance ministry announced it would prepay about $7bn of loans from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, while the Brazilian treasury said it will continue to buy back dollar debt in the 20s and 30s.

The Republic of Italy has issued its first syndicated bond since its general election in April, a Eu4bn 10 year inflation-linked security. Led by ABN Amro, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, Barclays Capital, Calyon and UBS, the deal comes amid concern about the growth of inflation and the prospect of interest rate rises in Europe and the US. It is the first syndicated sovereign inflation-linked bond to be launched since Greece tapped its linker in April and Germany issued its inaugural linker in March.

EuroWeek held its annual Celebration of Excellence cocktail party at London's Cinnamon Club on Wednesday. For the party poopers among you who didn't fancy being wined and dined for free — you know who you are — you missed a great night.

The Eu1.1bn loan that Citigroup and Credit Suisse are arranging in support of Apax Partners' buy-out of US fashion retailer Tommy Hilfiger is one of several leveraged deals said to be struggling in syndication this week.

The London Stock Exchange priced its debut deal this week and, with speculation rife that the issuer will be taken over or increase its leverage, investors lapped up the protection package on offer. The Baa1 rated issuer brought a £250m 10 year deal at 118bp over Gilts after the leads Barclays Capital and the Royal Bank of Scotland went out with price guidance of 115bp-120bp over.

Bill Young returns to US

US banks and brokerage firms flooded the new issue market with almost $7bn of short dated floaters this week, taking advantage of the only part of the new issue market that does not require new issue concessions.