UK

Royal Bank of Scotland has signed up three buyside firms to fund a planned expansion of its UK mid-market private equity origination business. AIG Asset Management, Hermes and M&G are all entering the sector for the first time, and will have privileged access to new originations from the British bank.

Fidessa, the UK based financial software and data company, has appointed a former LIFFE sales head to its Europe, Middle East and Africa derivatives business.

American Honda Finance has visited the sterling bond market for a £250m seven year deal, its inaugural offering in the currency.

Total SA, the French oil company, made its second foray of the year into the sterling bond market on Monday, with a £150m tap of its previous bond in the currency.

The loan market will gather in London on Wednesday, December 9, for the Loan Syndicate Manager’s Forum's charity carol service.

Westpac looked to the sterling market for a seven year senior deal on Monday, as the number of redemptions in the UK currency swells towards the end of the year.

The UK Debt Management Office has updated its fundraising programme for the first three months of 2016 and will tap the ultra-long end for its final syndication.

FIG bankers rejoiced this week as two markets that have been much maligned this year — insurance capital and sterling senior — showed enduring appeal just in time for a year end funding grab.

The UK printed on Tuesday a tap of its 0.125% index-linked Gilt maturing March 2046. The note was sold at the tightest spread to the benchmark since it was first syndicated.

United Kingdom

The UK Debt Management Office has raised £8bn in two days this week after a £3.75bn auction of its 1.5% Gilt maturing 2021. KfW was also in the market as other currencies lay dormant ahead of the European Central Bank meeting on Thursday.

Nestlé made a grab for sterling on Tuesday, issuing a five year benchmark bond in the currency that brought in orders from outside the UK.