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France Telecom sold a ¥20 billion ($170.93 million) non-syndicated trade. The one-year trade pays a final coupon of 0.56%. It is one of two one-year trades issued on Friday. The other deal was sold by Landesbank Rheinland-Pfalz and pays a final coupon of 3%.

The Neuer Markt IPO machine jumped into action again this week, as the high growth exchange's first listing in 2001 shot up 43% on its first day of trading. Shares in Dr Hönle, a UV irradiation and measuring equipment manufacturer, were priced at the top of the Eu9-Eu12 range in the company's Eu24m IPO. They then rose throughout Wednesday to close at Eu17.2. The deal, which was managed by MM Warburg and Bayerische Landesbank, was more than 10 times oversubscribed. As well as investors showing strong enthusiasm for the company, "the market was in a good mood", said a banker close to the deal.

France French satellite operator Gensat has cancelled its plan to tap the equity capital markets for Eu20m. No banks had been appointed.

Brazil Light Servicios, the Rio-based electricity concern, is due to come to market today (Friday) with a $100m two year deal via BNP Paribas.

New Zealand has come to the market for the first time this year. It has chosen a ¥50 million (($450,000) trade that matures in just under a year's time. The issue date is January 31 2001 but the maturity date is January 17 2002. The last time the sovereign issuer was in the yen market was in August 2000, when it sold a two-year trade via Goldman Sachs. Since signing its $3 billion Euro-MTN programme in 1991, it has concentrated its funding in the dollar sector, raising 61% of its funding with dollar trades. This yen trade is only its third yen note since 1997.

* Rabo Australia Ltd Guarantor: Rabobank Nederland NV

The cogs of the Nordic region's primary equity markets are beginning to turn. The Copenhagen stock exchange could see its first listing of 2001 on Monday. The first private equity fund of funds to list in Scandinavia is preparing to float in Finland, and Sweden is set for its first IPO. A number of large deals from the region are also eagerly awaited. Bookbuilding for the Eu68m-Eu83m IPO of Danish battery manufacturer Danionics, which could be the first company to list on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in 2001, closes today (Friday). ArosMaizels is leading the issue, which offers 3.1m shares at Dkr160-Dkr200.

* Fortis Finance NV Guarantors: Fortis (B), Fortis (NL) NV

The tone in the telecoms sector improved this week, despite the Orange IPO price range being set on Monday at a level lower than early estimates. After starting on a weak footing, with spreads a little softer than the previous week, telecoms paper outperformed other sectors.

France Télécom announced this week a Eu55bn-Eu65bn valuation for its mobile unit, Orange, sparking a debate as to whether the figure represented a discount or a premium to competitor Vodafone. Investors have shown widespread appreciation of Orange's business model, but also voiced concern that the telecoms sector has further to fall. "People love the company," said a banker on the syndicate. "It is just a question of the sector as a whole. The price was received positively," he added. But some investors see Orange's offer as representing a premium to the company's most prominent comparable Vodafone. "How can they justify paying a premium to market leader Vodafone?" asked another banker in the syndicate. A third explained that on the most common valuation, the price range offered a discount.

* Bayerische Handelsbank AG Rating: AAA

JP Morgan and SG are launching the Eu2.72bn acquisition financing for Pernod Ricard today (Friday). Banks have eagerly awaited the loan since Diageo and Pernod Ricard paid $8.15bn for Seagram's spirits division at the end of December 2000.