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* Credit Suisse Financial Products Ltd Rating: A2/A+

Brazil * Banco da Bahia Investimentos

RUPERT Hume-Kendall, the former head of equity syndicate at UBS who lost his job - together with most of his colleagues - as a result of the merger with SBC Warburg Dillon Read, is to resurface at Merrill Lynch. He will join the firm in late May as a managing director in the equity capital markets group, principally covering the UK and reporting to Brad England, head of equity capital markets in Europe. Roberto Oggioni, another ex-member of the UBS team, is also joining Merrill as a vice president in equity capital markets to cover Italy.

RUPERT Hume-Kendall, the former head of equity syndicate at UBS who lost his job - together with most of his colleagues - as a result of the merger with SBC Warburg Dillon Read, is to resurface at Merrill Lynch. He will join the firm in late May as a managing director in the equity capital markets group, principally covering the UK and reporting to Brad England, head of equity capital markets in Europe. Roberto Oggioni, another ex-member of the UBS team, is also joining Merrill as a vice president in equity capital markets to cover Italy.

* Olsten Corp BV Rating: Baa1/BBB+ Amount: Ffr800m

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GENERAL Motors looks set to launch a $2bn plus global bond as early as next week, the Detroit car company's first offshore dollar issue for 10 years, and a harbinger of other transactions from the auto and finance sectors. Also shattering this week's calm in the dollar markets will be Ford Motor Credit with a $2.5bn global bond, and Toyota Motor Credit with a $1bn Eurobond.

GENERAL Motors looks set to launch a $2bn plus global bond as early as next week, the Detroit car company's first offshore dollar issue for 10 years, and a harbinger of other transactions from the auto and finance sectors. Also shattering this week's calm in the dollar markets will be Ford Motor Credit with a $2.5bn global bond, and Toyota Motor Credit with a $1bn Eurobond. Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch are reported to have the mandate for the General Motors transaction, believed to include tranches at five and 10 years. Both banks refused to comment.

* European Bank for Reconstruction & Development Rating: Aaa/AAA

SWISS cement giant Holderbank became the latest issuer to take advantage of the buoyant market demand for equity linked debt this week, launching a Sfr419m convertible. The financing was run by SBC Warburg Dillon Read, which last week launched a successful offering for Swiss Life which raised more than $2bn through a multi-tranche, multi-currency series of exchangeable bonds.

WHY ARE passengers arriving at Marylebone Station being given free croissants and flagons of fine Bordeaux served by alluring ladies wearing little more than a discreetly positioned Tricolore? Have the French reversed the result of Waterloo? No, the celebrations are to herald the arrival of legendary City moneymaker David Morrison and his pal Jeremy Hale at the house of Paribas. You will all remember David Morrison as the better looking half of the combination with the whiskery Gavyn 'Cap'n Birdseye' Davies who is being tipped by men with white sticks as a future governor of the Bank of England.

India SBI International Merchant Banking Group is bidding for a ¥2.5bn refinancing for Gas Authority of India.