Search results for

Steve Wood, the longtime Banc Of America Securities financial markets economist and managing director, has left the firm to join online start-up Financial Oxygen, a newly launched electronic bond trading and portfolio management firm, as head of its economic advisory service, according to Chris Nichols, director of content. Wood, who will report to CEO Robert Oxenburgh, is to be responsible for developing economic commentary on data releases and Treasury market movements, as well as possible Federal Reserve movements. Wood joined approximately three weeks ago. His analysis will be offered as part of the analytics package at Financial Oxygen, which is aiming to be an online, one-stop transaction, pricing and analytics site for "middle-market" banks and thrifts that have investment portfolios between $50 million and $1 billion. A B of A spokesman confirmed his departure, declining further comment.

FleetBoston Financial is in the market with a $130 million add-on deal for Houston-based Plains Allamerica Pipeline LP's Canadian subsidiary Plains Marketing to fund the Canadian company's plans to finance the purchase of $160 million in assets of Canadian-based Murphy Oil Company. Al Swanson, treasurer, said the company attached the subsidiary's acquisition credit to the parent's outstanding $700 million credit in an effort to keep pricing lower and covenants more lenient. Swanson explained that with this structure all tangible hard assets under the combined entities will back the revolver.

A $15-20 million piece of Harnischfeger Industries' bank debt traded at 41, softening one point due to the announcement last week that Asia Pulp & Paper had filed for bankruptcy. The buyer and seller could not be determined. The Asian company, which was a customer of Harnischfeger, defaulted on its $200 million receivables contract two years ago. "It's why Harnischfeger ran out of money," said a market player, noting the tie between this situation and the recent announcement by Washington Group that it had financial troubles from Raytheon. "If you're a contractor, you've got to have liquidity,"he said. Harnischfeger, based in St. Francis, Wis., manufactures heavy equipment for the mining industry.

A total of $20-30 million of Integrated Health Services' bank debt traded last week at 41, which is down slightly for the name. Dealers say while health care continues to see a resurgence, the piece traded down in sympathy with a struggling high-yield sector. "The whole high-yield market has been weakening in last week or two as the stock market took a beating," he said. "In general people are pretty upbeat about that sector." Based in Sparks, Md., the company owns more than 365 nursing homes and 15 specialty hospitals.

Labor Ready signed a five year, $100 million accounts receivable securitization program to provide working capital and letters of credit for operational needs. It replaces a $60 million bank facility due to expire this year. "For the new deal borrowing is securitized by accounts receivable, versus being collaterized," said Steve Cooper, cfo. He said the program provides the company with greater access to funding and letters of credit at a lower cost. Labor Ready, based in Tacoma, Wash., provides temporary manual labor in the industrial and small business markets. It operates 832 dispatch offices in 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.

A Capital Hill hearing to be held Wednesday will provide a vent for remaining discontents about the regulators' merchant banking rules and one witness will use the occasion to suggest Congress modify the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to relax the ban on merchant banking cross-marketing. A committee aide confirmed that the capital markets subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee will hold the hearing, taking testimony from both regulators and industry witnesses. Attorney Robert Kabel, who will testify on behalf of the Bank Private Equity Coalition, said last week he would propose amending GLBA.

A struggle between lenders to Owens-Illinois and bondholders who have taken a position in the company's bank debt is holding up a credit restructuring and prompting traders to take bets on the outcome. Dealers said $20 million had traded in the 90 range and was quoted at 89-91 in the Street, as par desks started to slide down market to get into the action.

A total of $85 million in Regal Cinemas' bank debt traded up into the high 80s last week with dealers attributing it to a strengthening sector and reorganization for the debt. "It's getting close to the end," a trader said, noting that the restructuring is underway but declining to give details. "They had been in trouble for a while because of overall problems in the industry." Dealers also attribute the better levels to investor Philip Anschutz buying out much of the bank debt. Meanwhile, another cinema name that Anschutz has invested in, United Artists, has pulled out of bankruptcy. The Knoxville, Tenn.-based company has about 400 theaters across the country.

Shurgard Storage Centers signed a $360 million credit facility last month, replacing a $200 million deal due to expire in September. "We noticed the market was tightening and wanted to expand the bank group," said Jeffrey Szorik, assistant v.p., explaining why new financing was pursued now. "Diversity in capital sources is in our best interest long-term with more and more bank consolidations." The facility comprises a corporate revolver. Shurgard, a self-storage real estate investment trust, is based in Seattle.

A variety of telecommunications deals are continuing to fall under the weight of market saturation. Dealers said competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), wireless and broadband companies are trading down. Nextel "B/C" dropped as low as 98 and has since been bid at 98.625, down from 100.25 a few weeks ago. SpectraSite Communications was as low as 98, but is sluggishly working its way to 99. Nextlink, once trading in the 98-99 range, is now at 91-92. "The CLECs are getting hammered," a dealer said. "The companies that need money in the near-term [for building their networks] have gotten hit. They may need to scale back."

Quotes for Warnaco Group's bank debt tumbled 10 points into the mid-30s late last week following an announcement of a bigger than expected earnings loss. Traders seemed to be awaiting a conference call scheduled as LMW went to press to take action. "The banks are so shellshocked that they're not ready to take a market price and go."

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the debt ratings of Tower Records' credit facility to B3 from B2 due to a weak domestic market for entertainment products. The company has a $125 million senior secured credit facility due this year. The ratings reflect limited financial flexibility to withstand volatility in the market for entertainment products as a result of both competition and timing of new product releases. There is also uncertainty regarding the refinancing of Tower's revolving credit facilities which expire in 2001. The company has received a commitment letter for a new facility from lenders, but that final terms have not yet been approved.