Search results for

* World Bank Rating: Aaa/AAA

JOINT arrangers Merrill Lynch and SBC Warburg Dillon Read are looking to bring in co-lead arrangers and co-arrangers into their £500m credit facilities which are financing the formation of HMV Media Group Plc. Co-lead arrangers are being offered takes of £60m and co-arrangers £40m. Once co-lead arrangers and co-arrangers have been appointed -- the arrangers are hoping to firm up the two groups by the middle of next week -- general syndication will be launched.

India Co-ordinating arranger BA Asia has completed a $500m facility for Indian Oil Corp. Proceeds will refinance the $600m deal arranged by BA Asia in September 1997. Arrangers are Bank of America pledging $157.5m, Midland Bank contributing $100m, Oriental Bank of Commerce absorbing $77.5m, Bank of India committing $50m and HDFC Bank taking $30m. Co-arranger Gulf International Bank BSC signed up with $25m.

THOMSON Corporation, the Canadian publishing group, this week confirmed it will float its holiday business on the London Stock Exchange and that SBC Warburg Dillon Read will be the lead manager. The deal will reach the markets in early May, but has been rumoured for months since the group announced last year that it was going to reorganise.

* CIR International SA Guarantor: CIR -- Cie Industriali Riunite SpA Tranche 1: Lit130bn

9572

FORTHCOMING benchmark transactions for KfW and DtA received a boost this week when it was revealed that the two German development agencies will soon benefit from a direct guarantee from the Federal Republic of Germany. KfW will launch its DM4bn January 2009 transaction next week, with DtA's 10 year deal for up to DM2bn scheduled for the week after.

9607

Argentina Arranger SBC Warburg Dillon Read has been joined by BancAmerica Robertson Stephens as co-arranger before general syndication of its $250m three year loan style FRN for Banco de Galicia. Banco de Galicia -- $250m

* Crédit Local de France Rating: Aa1/AA+

MERRILL Lynch is poised to launch an international offering of Egyptian equity, testing demand for a sector that fell more than most emerging markets when stockmarkets collapsed last winter. The deal is for Ameriyah Cement, which has fallen a further 12% in the past three months and was trading this week at E£71. But bankers insist that demand for Egypt is picking up. Research on the company will be published next week and pre-marketing is due to kick off towards the end of March. Merrill, which won the mandate to run the books on the privatisation last year, will sell the stock to the international markets in the form of London or Luxembourg listed GDRs.