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THE JAPANESE government's $7bn selldown of shares in telecoms giant NTT is likely to be comfortably covered when the deal closes today (Friday), with Japanese retail investors and European institutions driving the deal. Pricing is expected at the tight end of the 3% to 5% discount range announced last week and bankers said that the share price appears to have stabilised around the ¥900,000 level * up from ¥890,000 a week ago * although the last minute fluctuations common in Japanese offers could not be ruled out.

* Bear Stearns has privately placed a collateralised bond obligation for Income Partners Asset Management (Asia) Ltd, backed by bonds from Asian issuers. Balanced Asian Credit Corp offered $51.5m of senior notes rated A2 by Moody's, maturing in November 2004, and a subordinated tranche not rated by Moody's. The notes are backed by some $72.5m of mainly fixed rate, convertible and non-convertible bonds issued in dollars by Asian borrowers.

THAI Airways (THAI) has chosen a consortium led by Credit Suisse First Boston as its adviser for privatisation next year. The other competing consortia for the role was led by Merrill Lynch and Warburg Dillon Read. The other members of the winning consortium are Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, Jardine Fleming Thanakom and Asset Plus Securities. The group will be responsible for finding the best way to sell the government's stake in the flag carrier. "There will be an initial study phase to determine whether a market or trade sale would be most appropriate," said a banker.

Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten NV Rating: Aaa/AAA/AAA

ELAN, the Irish pharmaceuticals group, raised $750m this week through the sale of Liquid Yield Option Notes (Lyons) via Merrill Lynch, taking advantage of a bullish week for pharmaceutical stocks. "This was a perfectly timed deal that accessed an important area of demand," said a salesman. The deal tapped into a market teaming with activity in the pharmaceuticals, drugs and chemicals sectors.

Argentina * HSBC Banco Roberts SA

DEUTSCHE Bank, arranger of the debt backing Legal & General Ventures Ltd's (LGV) acquisition of Emtec Magnetic, has closed general syndication after a slight oversubscription was raised. The arranger hopes to sign the deal before Christmas. Senior debt totals DM233m, consisting of a DM143m 5-1/2 year term loan (Term 'A') that carries a margin of 175bp over Libor, a DM40m seven year term loan (Term 'B') that carries a margin of 237.5bp over Libor and a DM50m six year revolving credit that carries a margin of 162.5bp over Libor.

THE SPANISH government is seeking to take advantage of recovering stockmarkets to continue its hugely successful privatisation programme and may sell a stake in pulp and paper group, Ence, as early as the first quarter. Traditionally, European governments are reluctant to approach the markets early in the year, although Spain has been the exception. Its first large deal of 1998 was the sale of stock in Argentaria, in January. Before that, the government sold its final chunk of Repsol stock in January 1996.

Comptoir des Entrepreneurs Rating: A3 (S&P ADEF)

JOINT LEAD managers Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Warburg Dillon Read completed the flotation for Finland's Fortum yesterday (Thursday), raising some FIM5.6bn. The company was created in June to combine the operations of natural gas and electricity utility IVO and oil and chemicals state company Neste with the aim of creating a leading European energy group serving the Northern European market.

THIS week's sale of stock in Funespaña illustrated the strong demand which should lead to a busy start to the year in the Spanish equity market, when a wide variety of corporate offerings are expected, by pricing close to the top of its indicated range. Funespaña's flotation involved the sale of between 30% and 35% of the group's equity capital represented by 3,373,384 shares, with a mixture of primary shares and secondary stock.