Remember how the technology boom wasn't a bubble at all, because this time things were different? Bankers love telling people how certain events are unique and unprecedented. Most of the time, though, they're wrong.

The Siloviki Who are they? Putin's old friends from the intelligence services, now in the FSB, defence ministry and presidential security service. They oppose neo-liberal policies, and want a strong, protectionist, authoritarian state. The liberals label them anti-capitalist, anti-democratic ex-KGB stooges. The Siloviki see themselves as patriots.

Afer three years of speculation about his departure, Citigroup's CEO Sandy Weil has finally named a successor. But the story doesn't end there.

Issuer: Huntsman

Head of business development, MDM Financial

Their stock prices have risen, their bonds have tightened, and now they've recorded a couple of good sets of quarterly earnings. One or two even managed record or near-record earnings for the second quarter. So far it has been a good year for US investment and universal banks. Are they finally putting three years of pain behind them?

Shipping is returning to the capital markets, six years after many borrowers defaulted. But are the top investment banks, which have the most direct access to high-yield investors, necessarily best equipped to lead new issues?

Issuer: ELoC 16