Loan Ranger

To the Ranger’s dismay, most of the CEEMEA loan market was in Cape Town last week soaking up the sun while we sat in a gloomy London office.

As GlobalCapital celebrated promotions for its colleagues, Silver and Tonto last week who made it through the newspaper's graduate trainee scheme, loan market participants also reminisced about their days as trainee bankers.

Last week the Ranger went to see Société Générale, and the French bank made an ostentatious display of frugality — the Ranger suspects.

The Ranger has discovered that chivalry is alive and well in the centuries-old German Schuldschein market. Schuldschein's finest were practically falling over themselves in their efforts to help the Ranger open doors, carry luggage and avoid deep puddles during her travels across Deutschland last week.

In one very refreshing coffee meeting this week, the Ranger was reminded that one of its most beloved contacts doesn’t sugar the pill when it comes to speaking his mind.

Last week the loan market gathered for the highly-anticipated 13th Syndicated Loan, Leveraged Finance and Private Placement Awards (otherwise known as the GlobalCapital loans awards) for a night of awards and tales of adventure.

Bringing true Western style to a different terrain, the Ranger commandeered a contact's vehicle while riding her steed (a camel) across the Arabian desert.

Donald Trump-esque behaviour pervaded the loan market last week and the Ranger spotted a number of clangers from market participants.

The loan market has undergone a changing of the guard with the departure of several loan market stalwarts — and loan market bodies the LMA and LMSF have some changes to boot.

This week GlobalCapital honours rock stars and loans heads with a rock 'n' roll special.

While equity markets began 2016 with a head-banging hangover, some loan bankers suffered worse from the repercussions of their glut of food and alcohol over the year end.

The loan market brought in the Christmas period in style at the Loan Syndicate Managers' Forum carol service last Wednesday. The singing was angelic, the mulled wine delicious and the sermon inspired some intriguing ideas.