Wells Fargo Securities

ECM Asset Management, the London-based investment firm owned by Wells Fargo, expects to secure final approval this month to begin committing money to leveraged loans in its multi-asset class funds.

Wells Fargo continued the slew of big ticket issuance from financial names with a $4.5bn deal that pushed its total dollar funding in the past six weeks beyond $8bn.

Wells Fargo gathered strong interest for a 10 year euro benchmark on Wednesday, investors were attracted to the deal by a healthy outright yield. Santander Consumer Bank decided to hit the other end of the curve, selling two year debt.

Wells Fargo is not trying to make a splash. But when the largest bank in the world by market cap gets into the water, expect a few ripples.

State Bank of India has closed its loan at $554.5m, managing to gather enough demand during syndication to increase its borrowing from the launch size of $390m.

VakifBank has signed a $995.5m-equivalent loan, becoming the latest Turkish financial institution to refinance its one year bank debt.

Wells Fargo this week took advantage of a lull in primary investment-grade activity with a double swoop on the dollar market, taking home more than $4bn.

Financial issuers highlighted strong demand for floating rate paper this week, with syndicate bankers expecting issuance to pick up again after the Easter break. Issuers are proving keen to save on funding costs while investors are happy to pick up protection against the possibility of rising rates.

Tanks are moving in Ukraine and shots being fired are no longer isolated. But to look at financial markets, you would think Russia’s president Vladimir Putin had flown to Kiev to kiss and make up.

Wells Fargo and Macquarie Bank highlighted the demand for floating rate paper on Tuesday, with both banks selling euro denominated FRNs. Syndicate officials away from the deal said that the deals are likely to be the last senior trades from banks ahead of the Easter break.

Largest US home lender sees a rise in profit for the first quarter, in spite of housing market pressures.

Six bank and finance names raised $14.5bn in the space of three days, boasting bulging order books and minimal new issue concessions as investors scrambled for extra yield.