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* Valtion asuntorahasto, the Housing Fund of Finland, will launch its fifth securitisation of loans to social housing providers today (Friday) or on Monday, via BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse First Boston and Leonia Corporate Bank. Fennica No 5 plc is believed to have found strong demand and is expected to be oversubscribed. Investors were attracted by the impeccable credit record of the Housing Fund's assets and by the virtual certainty that the notes will be redeemed as bullets on their expected maturities.

Nomura began roadshows this week for an innovative Eu1bn securitisation backed by Swedish residential mortgages originated by the Swedish National Housing Finance Corp (SBAB). In an extremely unusual move for a European securitisation, the deal will include a tranche in yen - and it may also become the first European ABS to be distributed on the internet.

ABN Amro launched Eu400m securitisation of its Dutch consumer loans last Friday through Amstel Consumer Loan Securitisation Co 2000-1 BV. The deal was structured for specific investors and priced with an unusually low coupon of one month Euribor plus 15bp with an average life of 5.9 years. It comprised a single tranche, rated double-A by all three agencies.

Lehman Brothers is preparing to launch an £84m securitisation for Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Really Useful Theatre Group, backed by 13 theatres in London's West End. The deal will refinance a loan made in January by Lehman's principal finance and securitisation group to finance the acquisition of 10 theatres from Stoll Moss Theatres. These venues were added to three owned by Lloyd-Webber's Really Useful Group to form a new company, The Really Useful Theatre Group (RUT).

The Black-Scholes model makes the assumption that volatility of the underlying is constant.

The phenomenal costs involved in winning 3G licences in Europe have transformed investor sentiment towards telecoms companies and changed the face of the bond markets. But the dynamics in Asia are different. Investors and issuers should take note of 3G, but it isn't going to have the same effect here as it did in Europe. By Chris Wright.

The region's investors are sticking to their guns: Merrill Lynch is still the best brokerage in Asia and Jardine Fleming (now Chase JF), CLSA and UBS Warburg still provide the keenest competition. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

SJ Wong is the driving force behind e2-Capital Venture Group, an Asia-based investment banking company with a broad-reaching agenda.

The high-profile collapse of talks between Ford Motor and Daewoo Motor in mid-September underscores Renault's successful manoeuvring in clinching its deal with Samsung Motors. Negotiations between the French automobile manufacturer and Samsung, which took nearly a year to conclude, hinged on persuading creditor banks and Samsung to accept an equity position in a joint venture. The banks, naturally, just wanted all their money back. And Samsung was said to want to divest totally. But Renault was keen to keep Samsung and the creditor banks involved, believing this would ensure the long-term viability of the carmaker. Stuart Mowbray of SG Securities, which advised Renault on the acquisition, says: “Renault didn't just want to buy assets and see everyone walk away. We had to have the assets up and operating again and there were strong benefits in making sure that the support of all parties was continued.”

SJ Wong is the driving force behind e2-Capital Venture Group, an Asia-based investment banking company with a broad-reaching agenda.

It's coming round to that time of year again, reports Matthew Montagu-Pollock. Time for financiers to reassess whether their firms are truly meeting career aspirations. Time to consider if there may be more scope, more congenial colleagues, and (heaven forbid) more money to be made, elsewhere. Time for firms to begin looking for post-bonus hires.