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Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA Amount: $100m (fungible with two issues totalling $800m launched 22/08/02 and 08/01/03)

Roche Holdings is planning to launch its debut euro bond in the coming weeks as part of its efforts to reposition itself in the financial markets. Syndicate officials are expecting an intermediate maturity benchmark via ABN Amro, Citigroup/SSSB and Credit Suisse First Boston shortly after the Swiss pharmaceutical company completes a roadshow next week. The deal will be the first off Roche's newly established MTN programme, which EuroWeek understands the company plans to use as a platform to build up a yield curve in the euro market. Such a move would be part of Roche's wider efforts to cut funding costs, reduce the level of risk on its balance sheet and increase transparency.

Roche Holdings is planning to launch its debut euro bond in the coming weeks as part of its efforts to reposition itself in the financial markets. Syndicate officials are expecting an intermediate maturity benchmark via ABN Amro, Citigroup/SSSB and Credit Suisse First Boston shortly after the Swiss pharmaceutical company completes a roadshow next week. The deal will be the first off Roche's newly established MTN programme, which EuroWeek understands the company plans to use as a platform to build up a yield curve in the euro market. Such a move would be part of Roche's wider efforts to cut funding costs, reduce the level of risk on its balance sheet and increase transparency.

Deutsche Bank is refinancing the debt facilities that supported Blackstone's acquisition of the Savoy Group. The Savoy owns Claridges, Savoy Hotel and Simpsons.

Amount: Eu323.8m Legal maturity: February 25, 2030

Sweden's Scania and Finland's Fortum this week launched $2bn of debt into the already burgeoning Nordic syndicated loan market. Both facilities should receive a warm reception, due to the strengths of the underlying credits. The first deal is the $1bn five year facility for Scania. Mandated arrangers ABN Amro, Deutsche Bank (joint bookrunner) and Nordea (joint bookrunner) launched syndication earlier this week. Bankers have been invited to attend a presentation at Scania's head office on Wednesday.

HSBC, NordLB and Standard Chartered have joined forces to launch a S$200m three year loan for Capitaland Commercial. Banks can lend in either Singapore or US dollars at a margin of 95bp over the Singapore dollar swap rate for Singapore dollar lenders and 95bp over Libor for US dollar lenders.

A shareholder decision in support of the demerger of Six Continents' pubs and hotels businesses announced this week was good news for some banks and bad news for others. CSFB and Lehman Brothers, which had underwritten a £3.5bn loan backing CMI's failed bid, are probably most disappointed.

Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA Amount: NZ$100m

EuroWeek has heard that the mandate to arrange the Eu50m five year amortising facility for Bank Celje has been awarded. Banks thought to be involved include Bank Austria Creditanstalt, Bawag, LB Kiel and RZB. The borrower last tapped the market in May with a Eu40m five year facility. Mandated arrangers were Bank Austria Creditanstalt and BayernLB. The deal paid a margin of 38bp over Euribor for the first two years and 42bp thereafter.

The Sohar Refinery in Oman (Oman Gas Company) has invited banks to bid for the mandate to arrange a new multi-tranche project financing which may exceed $1bn. Bank of America has been appointed financial adviser to the borrower and is busy collecting bids from eager would-be mandated arrangers for the facility. Bids are due in by the end of March and the mandate should be awarded in early April.

American Express Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Bank of Montreal, BayernLB, Citigroup/ SSB, Commerzbank, Crédit Lyonnais, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, ING, KBC, LBKiel, Mizuho, Natexis Banques Populaires, RZB, Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Chartered Bank, SMBC and Wachovia have been signed in to ABSA's $330m one year term loan. Takes were roughly $18.3m each.