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To accommodate relationship banks unable to commit the chunky tickets on offer in senior syndication of Johnston Press's £680m acquisition facility, Deutsche Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland will launch the deal into a limited general syndication. Banks invited to join senior syndication were asked to commit £75m with a final intended take of £35m. The deal has been praised as neatly structured and reasonably priced. Retail will be launched today (Friday).

Arranger Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp has launched and fully underwritten a ¥20bn three year term loan for Victor Company of Japan (JVC). The borrower is involved with research, development, manufacturing and sales of electronics' software and media products. Market responses have been positive and, in the case of an oversubscription, the borrower will be given the option to increase the deal size.

John Wood Group, the UK's largest oil services company, this week confirmed its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange, in a deal that should value the company at around £1bn. Cazenove and Credit Suisse First Boston have been appointed to lead manage the offering, which is scheduled to launch on May 10.

Rating: AA- Amount: Eu150m

JP Morgan this week completed the merger of its corporate derivatives and equity capital markets teams, becoming the latest bank to seek greater efficiency by combining two businesses. The merger was effected earlier this year, but it was only this week that the new group began operating out of the same place. Over recent months both Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs have signalled their intention to move corporate derivatives and ECM closer together.

The mandate to arrange the $25m six month facility for Kazakhstan Development Bank has been awarded this week. Sole mandated arranger and agent for the deal is ING.

Guarantor: Kazkommertsbank Rating: Ba2/B+/BB-

Guarantor: Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA

After two years of hesitation Kazkommertsbank (KKB) this week issued a $150m five year bond via JP Morgan and ABN Amro. The Kazakh bank's first Eurobond offers an eye-catching 10.125% coupon, and has given some indication of the international pricing of Kazakh risk after Kazakhoil pulled an issue last month. KKB had been eyeing the Eurobond market since well before the redemption of its only other international bond, a $100m three year issue, in May last year. Its decision to launch came as the rejuvenated oil price removed any possibility of sovereign supply from Kazakhstan this year.

Citigroup/SSB and Korea Development Bank have joined forces to launch a $200m three year loan-style FRN for LG Electronics Co. Sub-underwriters have been invited to join the facility at a margin of 66bp over Libor on one of two levels.

Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA Amount: Eu100m Landesschatzanweisung series 95