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Mandated arrangers ABN Amro, DnB Markets and Svenska Handelsbanken will launch the debt facility for Elkem into syndication in the next three weeks. A banker told EuroWeek that the borrower is reviewing its future plans before the facility size is confirmed and the deal launched.

Volumes in Norwegian kroner are up by almost 250% on last month. Nearly $3bn has been issued in the currency since the beginning of September and, compared to the whole of last year, issuance for the first three-quarters of this year has surged threefold. One MTN head at a leading European house told EuroWeek: "The recent flurry of Norwegian krone deals is the result of one very large investor. There are three separate houses servicing this demand, but they are bidding against each other and it is not worth us getting involved - the margins are just too tight."

Veteran Russian markets analyst Eric Kraus has joined Sovlink, a part of the Sovlink/Aljba-Alliance investment banking group, as head of equities and chief strategist. Previously Kraus occupied a similar position at investment bank Nikoil for two years, where he courted controversy with his acerbic criticism of corporate governance abuses at oil majors Lukoil and Sibneft.

Amount: Eu2bn Rating: Moody's/Fitch

Sole bookrunner and mandated lead arranger Citigroup/SSSB is arranging a $200m container financing for P&O Nedloyd. The facility is divided into a $160m nine year amortising term loan 'A' and a $40m nine year bullet term loan 'B'. The facility has full recourse to P&O.Banks have been asked to commit tickets of $25m as lead arrangers, $20m as senior co-arrangers and $15m as co-arrangers.Replies are due by the middle of October. Proceeds finance container leases.

Rating: Aa2/AA Amount: $300m

Amount: Eu334m Rating: AAA/AAA

Dutch insurer Aegon has launched an investigation into a possible leak to the market ahead of its Eu3.5bn share sale last week. A spokesman for Aegon confirmed that it was looking into where stories in the press that emerged five days before the issue was launched came from. The investigation will be directed both internally and externally.

French telecoms equipment maker Alcatel took the bold decision to launch a Eu314.2m accelerated bookbuild in Thales, the French defence electronics manufacturer, as European markets slumped. The issue was launched on Wednesday morning following two consecutive days of falls in the CAC-40. The French index was down 5.2% over Monday and Tuesday.

Guarantor: Alpha Credit Bank AE Rating: Baa1/BBB+

Mandated arranger Standard Chartered will sign a final three banks into the $350m credit for Sociedade National de Combustiveis de Angola (Sonangol) today (Friday). Erste Bank, BMC and RMB will join on what is the second rollover date for this facility.

Private equity sponsors and their supporting banks were disappointed this week when the decision on which bidding consortium was close to winning exclusive rights to negotiate the purchase of Vivendi Universal's (VU) subsidiary Vivendi Universal Publishing (VUP), expected on Wednesday September 25, was delayed. Banks and private equity sponsors that have submitted bids - worth anything between Eu2bn and Eu4bn - recognise the potential for a cheap buy of what is essentially a valuable asset and they are eager for the sale to go through quickly.