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Never let it be said that our opinions in these columns go completely unnoticed. Didn't we suggest that SG and ABN Amro had no reason to be involved in the hugely competitive world of corporate finance and M&A advisory work, where costs rise ever upwards towards the stars? And did anyone listen? It looks that way, because before you could say "Whatever happened to Stephen Brisby?" SG had pulled down its investment banking colours and run up the white flag. The French nation went into mourning and Tricolours were knocked down at half price to passing Japanese tourists on the Champs Elysée.

Rating: Aa3/A Amount: $300m subordinated notes

Zurich Financial Services is preparing a $2bn-$2.5bn rights issue, with Citigroup/SSSB, Credit Suisse First Boston, Goldman Sachs and UBS Warburg as joint underwriters. The deal was announced yesterday (Thursday) after days of intense speculation about the troubled Swiss conglomerate, which has seen its share price fall by 70% this year.

WestLB is making good progress on the financing of the £738m Wembley National Stadium project. The bank has been in discussion for some time with a number of other banks for senior roles on the deal which is thought to centre on a £414m loan financing for stadium.The timing of the launch of syndication has not yet been fixed, but should come within the next month or so.

Rating: A+ (Fitch) Amount: Sk1bn

Rating: A1/A+/A+ Amount: Eu200m (increased from Eu150m)

Mandated arranger Standard Chartered will sign banks into the $140m LC for Bombay Suburban Electric Supply (BSES) in two weeks' time. The deal has been delayed due to the holiday season.

ING Financial Markets continued its Asian hiring spree with another five equity appointments this week. The appointments follow a previous 15 hires this year and demonstrate how much work the bank is doing to increase its team to create a competitive franchise in the region. Jenkin Leung has been brought on board from CLSA as a managing director, head of Hong Kong sales. Leung will be responsible for distributing ING's Hong Kong equity product to institutional investors.

Bank of Scotland has closed and signed the £53m of debt backing the buy-out of floor underlay manufacturers Duralay from Cinven and Gates Consumer from Tomkins plc by Rutland Fund Management. The companies will be merged into one group called Interfloor Holdings. The deal was launched in July.

Rating: A1/A+ Amount: $1.1bn (increased from $1bn)

Rating: A1/A+ Amount: $600m (increased from $500m)

Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch have postponed the launch and bank meeting for the senior debt facilities backing the Madison Dearborn Partners-led buy-out of paper and packaging company Jefferson Smurfit Group (JSG). The launch, which had been scheduled for this week, will be delayed until next week. The bank meeting has been moved from today (Friday) until Monday September 17 in London.