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SG, the corporate and investment banking arm of Société Générale, is looking to bulk up its asset-backed banking team in London. Richard Hopkin, the newly hired deputy head of the securitization team, says a few new hires will be necessary to handle the firm's heavy deal pipeline, declining to say how many it has lined up. There are 10 people currently in the London ABS group. Prior to joining SG, Hopkin was a managing director at Deutsche Bank in London, where he was responsible for commercial paper conduits, asset-backed commercial paper conduits and developing the firm's consumer term ABS business. Hopkin, who joined earlier in January and is responsible for Northern European and U.K. business, reports to Jean-François Despoux, Paris-based head of securitization.

Though investment banks and investors are increasingly turning a deaf ear to smaller high-yield issuers, there is convincing evidence that they are missing an opportunity, according to Sherri Andrews, head of high-yield research at BNP Paribas. Andrews points to statistics from Credit Suisse First Boston demonstrating that small issues significantly outperformed deals larger than $300 million last year. While deals larger than $300 million returned only 1.04%, issues between $101-$299 million returned 11.37%, according to this report. Deals $100 million and smaller did the best of all, returning 13.44% last year. Andrews says the average deals in 1997 and 1998 were much smaller. "As mutual funds got larger, it became increasingly difficult to sell them these small transactions. One of the themes last year was that smaller issuers basically couldn't tap the market," she adds.

Banc of America Securities has moved a couple of trading positions internally, according to Pat Beranek, a consumer asset-backed securities trader. Beranek used to work in the high-grade syndicate desk and has been internally moved to the asset-backed securities syndicate desk, where he will report to Christopher Hentemann, head of ABS syndicate. Beranek used to report to Jeff Kane, managing director and head of global high-grade syndicate. Kane says Beranek's move merely reflects a restructuring change as Beranek's product used to be covered in the high-grade syndicate area and has now been transferred onto the ABS desk. Beranek will focus on primary issuance for consumer ABS origination, including credit-card and automotive-backed securities.

AIG Global Investment Group is looking to hire a senior investment manager for its fixed-income business in London. It is unclear whether the new hire will replace David Furey, the former head of fixed-income in London, who recently left. Furey's next destination is not known, and firm officials declined to comment. AIG is looking for a candidate to manage is

Total investment grade issuance clocked in at $7 billion for the week ended Thursday, bringing the January total up to $32 billion. The month is on target still to hit $40-50 billion in investment grade borrowing, although subsequent months are expected to drop into the $30 billion range as corporate America has less need to borrow this year. The primary market has lost its luster in line with the increased equity market volatility, dismal 4Q earnings, the widening of swap spreads and the rating agencies' downgrade rampage. After a record number of fallen angels in 2001, the agencies seem prepared to downgrade first and ask questions later. There were only 3, $1 billion plus deals last week as benchmark borrowers shied away from interest rate volatility.

Italian construction company Astaldi is considering buying its first credit derivative contract to hedge emerging markets exposure. Giorgio Bianchini, head of finance in Rome, said the company is looking into buying default swaps on sovereigns, such as Venezuela and Turkey, where it undertakes construction projects.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) re-opened its $550m 9% 2005 deal for the third time this week, adding another $250m to the issue. The re-opening follows the success of the Republic of the Philippines' $750m 10 year deal last week and bodes well for future issuance from the country - new transactions are expected from National Power Corp (Napocor) and conglomerate JG Summit in the next few weeks.

Hong Kong Following up its issuance programme in 2001, Hong Kong Mortgage Corp (HKMC) launched a HK$3bn three year bond this week. HSBC was sole lead manager for the bond, which was priced at par to offer a coupon of 3.8% per year. The deal is the largest Hong Kong dollar deal so far this year. HKMC has the largest Hong Kong dollar bond issue on record: a HK$5bn privately placed transaction arranged by HSBC in March 2001.

In what will be the first international issue by a Hong Kong borrower this year, Hysan Development is preparing to make its debut in the dollar market with a $200m 10 year bond. Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley are joint lead managing the Reg S but non-144A Eurodollar transaction, which will be launched through financial subsidiary Hysan (MTN).

Despite the closure of 20 of its 28 retail branches across Japan, Merrill Lynch said that its ability to arrange Samurai and Euroyen bond issues will not be affected. "We do not feel that our wholesale divisions will be damaged by the closure of the retail offices," a spokesperson for Merrill Lynch in Tokyo told EuroWeek this week.

As CapitaLand decides which banks will lead its revitalised property trust offering, news emerged yesterday (Thursday) that the company, part of the Singapore Technologies stable of businesses, had formed a team including former property consultant Steven Choo to spearhead the float. The deal, the first of its type from the Lion State, was originally expected last year. Singapore's efforts to grow and diversify its capital markets suffered a blow in the second week of November when CapitaLand and lead manager UBS Warburg were forced to cancel the float of the newly created SingMall Property Trust after demand for the issue failed to materialise.