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French automotive manufacturer Renault is looking to make its entrance into the Samurai market though a ¥50bn five year Samurai deal next week. Merrill Lynch and Daiwa Securities SMBC have been appointed as joint lead managers. "Renault has never accessed the market before, but it is a highly regarded name in Japan because of its partnership with Nissan," said a banker at Merrill Lynch.

Gazinvest Finance is rumoured to be signing a euro300 million ($274.46 million) MTN programme in the near future. Deutsche Bank is thought to be the IPA.

Finland The co-arranger phase of the Eu800m tranche of the Eu1.2bn facility for Finland's leading media group Sanoma has been closed. Arrangers Goldman Sachs and Nordea are finalising the term sheet before general syndication is launched in early September.

Following continued pressure from banks and politicians, it seems that the grey markets in Germany are finally starting to reveal their hands. The problem of the lack of transparency in the grey markets has long been recognised. But this year, following the extreme volatility on the stock markets that have damaged so many issues, discussions have intensified.

As the summer draws to a close, some banks in London find themselves sitting on a stack of Russian corporate Eurobond mandates with one big question hanging in the air - how many deals will come to the market before the Russian Federation makes its entry at the beginning of 2002? Bankers told EuroWeek that at least two issuers plan roadshows for the third week of September.

The European Investment Bank is diversifying its funding sources into the Swedish krona market by setting up a Skr30bn domestic bond issuance programme designed to provide investors with large, liquid alternatives to Swedish government bonds. The programme, called ELK (EIB liquid kronor programme), will target investor demand for highly rated paper following the decrease of Swedish government debt issuance in recent years.

* European Investment Bank Rating: Aaa/AAA

* Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd Rating: Aa3/AA-/AA-

Domestic issuance: * Banque Cantonale Vaudoise

Following the success of the deals for Garanti Bank and Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi, Finansbank has mandated Alpha Bank, Bankgesellschaft Berlin, Bank of New York, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, BVB Group and First Union National Bank to arrange a $60m one year term loan. The deals for Turkey's Garanti Bank and Yapi Bank were both closed oversubscribed and increased from $200m to $350m.

The UK power market is beginning to stir after a lengthy period of inactivity owing to the government's ban on new build gas fired plant. While few greenfield projects are being planned, the loan market is expecting a large number of deals supporting asset transfer activity on either a project or corporate basis. UK and US power companies are bidding for the acquisition of Edison Mission's Fiddler's Ferry and Ferrybridge generating plants, which have a combined capacity of around 4,000MW. The transaction is expected to be worth around £1.5bn.

Mandated arrangers Barclays Dresdner, Goldman Sachs and HSBC have signed banks in following completion of senior syndication of the Eu3.5bn acquisition loan for Gallaher. There were two levels on offer at the senior syndication stage. Banks were invited to either underwrite £150m as arrangers for an underwriting fee of 30bp and a further 20bp on projected final takes of £95m, or £100m for an underwriting fee of 25bp and 15bp on target holds of £65m.