Republic of Argentina $2 billion 20-year global bond: Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan
This was conceived as part of a two-tranche transaction that would have included a five-year issue. But the shorter maturity was dropped in response to demand for longer-duration debt as investors ventured along the yield curve. The timing and scope of the deal could hardly have been better. "It caught the wind perfectly," says one banker.
The enthusiastic response convinced some bankers that a transformation was occuring in investors' attitudes to emerging market debt, especially to Latin borrowers. The deal was well received outside the US, with institutions participating which normally focus only on triple-A rated securities.
The success of the deal was underlined only a week later when Argentina launched a surprise Ps500 million ($500 million) 10-year bond, its longest-ever local currency issue. The two deals together represented a strong vote of confidence from investors in Argentina's economic prospects.
Kuwait Investment Office £1.22 billion block trade in British Petroleum stock: Goldman Sachs
The largest-ever bought deal in the UK equity market with 170 million shares in British Petroleum sold in less than 24 hours.