"Listen, I'm one of the biggest risk managers in Europe. I run a credit risk book of over €60 billion. By comparison most funds are little pussies."
One head of investment banking shows where the real power lies in financial markets
"It's a game of musical chairs, but with far fewer chairs than people thought. If there's a debt squeeze or if one big leveraged deal goes over, the music stops. Who owns the debt when the music stops?"
One anxious observer's view of the LBO market, as deal size and leverage continue to grow
"Things are changing in Spain. Children don't want to live with their parents until they get married. You can get divorced. So more and more single people need houses. And that's good for business."
A Spanish banker sees the bright side of conditions that are driving increased mortgage origination in Spain
"Well, fortunately these natural disasters tend to happen at weekends, so investors can't get hold of you."
One catastrophe bond hedge fund manager on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina