Goldman Sachs
The US firm has demonstrated that a smart approach can be profitable at the short end of the curve
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| John Willian |
To be named as the best global short-term debt house requires critical mass in the US, Europe and Asia. Goldman Sachs demonstrated its relevance to a wide range of clients via value-added transactions during a 12-month period when borrowers' requirements for strategic short-end financing were increasing.
With a respectable $225 billion in outstandings, Goldman Sachs' short-term debt business is on an upward curve, both in terms of its market scope and innovation. More than ever before, the short end is a key tool in Goldman's effort to provide a comprehensive funding mix for its clients.
"The marquee transaction for us in the past year has been the debt IPO for Berkshire Hathaway... We have done two deals for them this year. Both of these were on the back of large acquisitions," says John Willian, partner and head of global money markets at Goldman Sachs. The trickier of these sole-led deals took place in the midst of negative AIG/General Re headlines, but the $800 million three-year FRN printed without requiring a premium, at Libor plus six basis points.