The Netherlands

Rabobank has agreed a strategic partnership with Kepler Cheuvreux, covering the Benelux region and the food and agriculture sector, and has closed its cash equities business, with the loss of 30 jobs.

Unit4, the Dutch online application provider, is marketing a €230m term loan with replies due this week, but European investors have voiced difficulties in understanding the IT sector.

Basic-Fit, the low cost gym group, made its debut on Euronext Amsterdam on Friday morning, after an IPO that was priced towards the bottom end of its range on Wednesday.

The IPO of ASR Nederland, the second biggest this year in Europe after that of Dong Energy, reached a successful conclusion one day later than Dong’s, when the stock rose 2.6% on its first day of trading on Friday.

The former head of corporate debt capital markets at Rabobank has been promoted to head of capital markets — leaving positions open, which could include head of syndicated loans.

Shares in Van Lanschot, the Dutch wealth management firm, jumped 5% on Thursday after it announced the pricing of its ‘re-IPO’ early in the morning.

Basic-Fit, the low cost gym group, is expected to issue revised price guidance for its IPO in the next 24 hours.

Price guidance is expected imminently on the IPO of insurance company ASR Nederland, which is closing on Thursday and looks set be the biggest in the current spate of Dutch equity capital markets deals, beating last month’s listing of Philips Lighting.

Of the five IPOs due to reach completion this week, Norway’s B2 Holding finished its bookbuild today and Dong Energy has put out final guidance. Van Lanschot has also just revised its guidance. The other two — ASR Nederland and Basic-Fit — have still to refine their original price ranges.

Delta Lloyd Bank’s €500m Dutch RMBS deal was priced on Tuesday and benefitted from strong technical support as investors scramble for paper. The swapless bonds also feature more than usual credit enhancement as well as low risk NHG-guaranteed collateral that may soon become scarce.

Koninklijke BAM Groep, the Dutch construction company, raised €125m on Monday with a rare subordinated convertible bond issue, which becomes its only traded debt instrument.

ING has raided General Electric for a new head of wholesale banking, with Bill Connelly set to retire from the job in November.