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FOLLOWING a lukewarm debut last Friday, Carphone Warehouse shares slid during the week but recovered by yesterday (Thursday), following the £327m Credit Suisse First Boston-led IPO. The share price fell steadily on Monday to close at 192p from an issue price of 200p. "It was not as smooth a ride as we would have liked," said a banker connected to the sale. He added: "In aggregate it was a good outcome for the issuer though." Yesterday the stock closed at 205.5p.

Citigroup has announced a series of senior promotions, including the appointment of Michael Klein as co-head of global investment banking at Salomon Smith Barney. Klein, currently vice chairman and co-head of investment banking at Schroder Salmon Smith Barney (SSSB), will work alongside Robert Morse.

COLOMBIA is planning to tap the Samurai market for the first time in four years with a deal of up to $300m. Juan Mario Laserna, Colombia's director of public credit, said this week that the government has filed a ¥60bn ($556m) shelf and would make a first issue of between $200m and $300m worth of yen denominated bonds.

THERE was a flurry of activity from Deutsche Bank in the equity linked market this week with two government backed exchangeable bonds from Greece. Deutsche Bank and EFG Eurobank sold two government backed Greek convertibles on Monday. The Eu420m Hellenic Telecom bond and the Eu325m Hellenic Petroleum issue were both considered generously priced by market observers.

Czech Republic Mandated arranger HSBC has launched the general syndication of the CKr5bn five year term loan for CRC. Banks have been invited to join as lead managers taking CKr250m for fees of 25bp.

Brazil * Federative Republic of Brazil

* Commerzbank AG Amount: Eu100m lower tier two debt (fungible with Eu500m issue launched 29/06/00)

Asia's second LBO financing, the $150m 5-1/2 year deal for Wong's Circuits Hong Kong co-ordinated by Chase Manhattan Asia and Standard Chartered, has been launched into general syndication. This deal opens up new financing possibilities as a nascent Asian LBO market develops.

Freddie Mac launched its debut sterling global this week, and while it was not the first issue by the borrower in this sector it was easily its biggest. It had issued £250m in 1997, but this week sold £500m of 6.25% notes due December 2005. It was not, however, the largest sterling issue by a US agency - Fannie Mae sold £1bn in February 1997. Freddie Mac, like other agency borrowers, cannot keep debt in overseas currencies and consequently swapped the proceeds to fixed rate US dollars, confirmed the company's director of debt marketing, Peter Horvath.

US AGENCY Freddie Mac issued its first strategic transaction outside the US dollar market this week, launching a £500m 2005 bond date matched to the December 2005 Gilt. The lure of the UK investor base was a driving force behind the transaction. "Issuing in the sterling market has been a high priority for a long time," said Jerome Lienhard, Freddie Mac's senior vice president, investment funding. "But the opportunity was not there before. We were restricted by the capacity in the swap market and by pricing."

US AGENCY Freddie Mac issued its first strategic transaction outside the US dollar market this week, launching a £500m 2005 bond date matched to the December 2005 Gilt. The lure of the UK investor base was a driving force behind the transaction. "Issuing in the sterling market has been a high priority for a long time," said Jerome Lienhard, Freddie Mac's senior vice president, investment funding. "But the opportunity was not there before. We were restricted by the capacity in the swap market and by pricing."

Deutsche Bank, as lead arranger, is relaunching a facility for Hurst Publishing, publisher of Autotrader and other magazines. The facility first came to the market in 1998, for £260m, when Hurst was being bought out by BC Partners. Just as the deal hit the market, so did the Russian crisis of August 1998. The original pricing became unattractive, as did the high leverage ratios. There was also confusion over the ownership structure, as the titles were split between Hurst and the Guardian Media Group.