MTN Leak

Chris Hill of BNP Paribas and Amelie Darrort of Commerzbank became the latest to leave their banks this week. Both being experienced MTN pros, is it possible they have simply swapped places? Amelie, of course, would fit in well at a French bank, while Chris also likes, err, French banks.

The mysterious Mr Acharya has finally turned up, as it was revealed this week that he’s going to be joining team Falconer at BNP Paribas.

The MTN marketeers gathered last Thursday to see Jacques Lumb bow out of the market in style after a glittering 43 years at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

As spring springs in London, the MTN marketeers seem keen to take advantage of the good weather by bouncing into sociability.

Buyers of US dollar interest rate linked structures returned to the MTN market in force this week, with some swap houses bidding aggressively for the business giving a boost to trading.

The music is on for the MTN market’s version of musical chairs — Smit Acharya becoming the latest mover on the scene, leaving Calyon, oops, we mean Crédit Agricole (as Smit would say), after over three years at the French bank.

With Municipality Finance hosting a dealer event in Finland and Jacques Lumb intending to mark his final weeks at CBA with a big market bash, is it possible that the days of MTN parties are creeping back?

Leak was finally introduced to the new boy on UBS’s MTN desk over lunch on Tuesday this week, and he was well worth the wait. In fact, Leak’s a little in love…

Olly Johnson’s departure from Barclays Capital to join Bank of America Merrill Lynch has sent the rumour mills whirring at top speed. Is BofA-Merrill to start plucking players from the market to create some sort of MTN dream team? Will Johnson be replaced at Barclays Capital?

It has been a sad week for Barclays Capital. After nearly a decade, the majestic duo.

Leak imagines that the sun always shines over the MTN desk at UBS. "I’m a little thirsty, hand me another pina colada," says David Morland to Paul Jones on your average Thursday afternoon.

Leak loves Chinese New Year. There’s all those red envelopes stuffed with cash as the banks report their full year results and more importantly, there’s time to have lunch.