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n Fleet National Bank Rating: A1/A+

Renewed dollar buying by Asian accounts, first seen in last week's transactions for the World Bank, Denmark and KfW, encouraged further Eurodollar issuance this week. Significant among the Eurodollar deals was a $1bn five year transaction for the Republic of Portugal. The EU sovereign has been absent from the dollar sector since 1993 but, although offering considerable rarity value, the pricing was considered tight at 73bp over Treasuries.

Belgium Chase has closed the co-arranging phase of the $250m US swingline facility for Fortis Finance.

Market sources say Anglo American has quietly approached the market for a sizeable credit facility. The mining giant recently announced it planned to make a series of impressive acquisitions. Ghana

AMADEUS GLOBAL Travel Distribution will next week launch its long-awaited IPO. The deal is being run by global co-ordinators Warburg Dillon Read (books) and Merrill Lynch with CSFB as an out-of-order co-lead. The deal will comprise the sale of secondary stock from Continental CRS with Amadeus' other shareholders - Iberia, Lufthansa and Air France - being diluted through a capital increase. Continental is selling its complete 12.5% stake. After the IPO some 25% of the Amadeus group will be freely traded, with 25% held each by the remaining industrial investors. The new money raised will be targeted at projects including the development of the group's online business and the paying down of debt.

China The 10 year aircraft financing for Air China will close next week. The final amount of the commercial loan is approximately $185m. Arrangers are Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (Hong Kong).

Asia n Future Capital Ltd

Australia Arranger ANZ Investment Bank is finalising the information memorandum for the A$313m seven year acquisition financing for Southern Cross Pipelines Australia. The deal will be launched by mid-September.

Market commentary: Compiled by Glenn Blackley,

Is there no limit to the genius of Guy Hands, the increasingly cherubic securitisation wizard at Nomura in London? This was the man who first provided us with trains adorned with hostesses wearing black fishnet stockings, and who was then bidding to run the London Under- ground system.

The UK primary equity market is set to host a number of high profile deals that, if successful, may help revive its following among both local and international equity investors. A number of IPOs launched on the London stockmarket this year have suffered as UK institutional investors continue to shun all but a small group of sectors. The next wave of new business will include stocks from diverse industries such as leisure and construction as well as technology.

ABN Amro, Chase Manhattan (bookrunner) Citibank (bookrunner) and Paribas have launched syndication of the much anticipated £1.3bn credit for Tomkins Plc. The debt package consists of two tranches. Tranche 'A' is a £700m 364 day piece with an 18 month term out option that carries a margin of 40bp over Libor (50bp if termed out) and a commitment fee of 12.5bp.