Search results for

Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA Amount: $1bn

Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA Tranche 1: $5bn

Rating: Aaa/AAA Amount: $3bn

Ex-members of Merrill Lynch Investment Management's (MLIM) highly successful Alpha fund management team have joined forces with Majedie Investments to form a new company focusing on UK equities. The fund managers James de Uphaugh, Chris Field, Rob Harris and Adam Parker, who formed the basis of Merrill Lynch's Alpha team and have worked together for the past seven years, will run the new Majedie Asset Management. They will be joined by Simon Hazlitt, also ex-MLIM, who will act as operations and client relationship ex-manager.

Joint mandated arrangers BayernLB and DnB Markets (facility agent) have signed banks into the Eu500m five year facility for Hafslund. The deal was oversubscribed but not increased. Crédit Lyonnais, Fokus Bank, Gjensidige NOR Merchant Bank, Nordea and SEB Merchant Bank have joined for arranger titles.

ABN Amro and BNP Paribas will close senior syndication of the Eu950m acquisition facility for information technology services provider Atos Origin next week. Funds raised will support Atos's proposed acquisition of KPMG Consulting in the UK and the Netherlands. Proceeds will also be used to refinance debt.

Equity capital markets bankers were hard at work this week putting together tender offers to advise on the sale of French state owned assets in up to 14 companies, including the long awaited flotations of Electricité de France (EdF) and Gaz de France (GdF). The French ministry of economy, finance and industry is taking a careful look at its options before the summer break with the intention of getting the privatisation programme under way by the autumn, market conditions permitting.

Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA Amount: $2.5bn

Amount: Eu200m Landesschatzanweisung series 104 Maturity: August 25, 2010

Rating: AAA (Fitch) Amount: Eu200m

Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's positive appraisal of prospects for economic recovery on Tuesday did not stop the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing almost 2% down on the day but it did find a sympathetic ear at Gartmore Investment Management. Richard Hodges, a senior investment manager in Gartmore's fixed income team, said that Greenspan's forecast is in line with his expectations for the economy.

HypoVereinsbank and Mizuho have received early commitments from banks invited to sub-underwrite the debt facilities backing the Doughty Hanson-led buy-out of auto parts company Auto Teile Unger (ATU). "The generous margins offered in this deal will appeal to bank investors," said one market participant, "and will make the funds salivate."