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* Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG Rating: Aaa/AAA

* European Investment Bank Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA

* Aareal Bank AG Rating: A+ (Fitch)

The South African domestic bond market appears to have recovered from a double blow resulting from the short-lived collapse of the rand late last year, to as low as R13.85/$, and a shock 100bp rate rise in early February. Though rates rose a further 100bp yesterday (Thursday), the move was shrugged off by a market that has regained confidence in the SARB's handling of the currency and a first quarter surge in inflation.

Sweden Over 15 banks have been brought into Ericsson's $743.676m multi-tranche facility and EuroWeek understands that some $900m has been raised from the market.

Two major deals are set to add to the rapid growth of the Russian domestic corporate bond market. Slavneft has completed an auction arranged by Troika Dialog for its second bond, a Rb2bn two year issue with a six month put at 99.23 and a one year put at par. The auction produced a 19.85% first semi-annual coupon, while subsequent coupon payments are linked to the Russian government bond market.

Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) this week signed up a group of banks to arrange a $300m prepayment facility, the first loan from the Republic of Congo. It is also the first African corporate loan to hit the market in 2002 outside South Africa. Mandated joint arrangers of the deal are KBC, RMB (SA) and Standard Chartered Bank. The facility is also fully underwritten by the three arrangers.

* Britannia Building Society Rating: A2/A

Sun Hung Kai Properties (Capital Market) has updated its $2 billion debt instrument programme and has added Bank of China to the dealer panel. The update signing was completed on March 8 and Bank of China joins the existing 12-strong dealer panel. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China is already a named dealer.

Nordic conglomerate Group 4 Falck this week announced its proposed acquisition of the second largest security services company in the US, Wackenhut. UBS Warburg has been chosen to arrange and sole underwrite a $1.335bn bridge loan and lead a Eu380m equity issue to finance the $573m acquisition.

* Akademiska Hus AB Rating: AA

The Region of Tuscany has finally signed its euro1.5 billion ($1.31 billion) Euro-MTN programme. Most of the details on the programme were published in MTNWeek last month (see issue 268), but the dealer panel had yet to be chosen. The borrower has now decided that the three arrangers - Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch and UBS Warburg - will be joined as dealers by ABN Amro, Banca IMI, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, BNP Paribas, CDC IXIS Capital Markets, Depfa Bank Europe, Dexia Capital Markets, HSBC, JPMorgan, MPS Finance and Nomura International.