Does experience matter on syndicate desks?

Send us Fan Mail

In the second part of GlobalCapital’s exploration of how bond syndicate desks are changing, after a swathe of the discipline’s senior bankers have been made redundant, we discuss the syndicate job itself.

Technology and market transparency have stripped away some of the grunt work, but also made knowledge easier to come by. Are banks thinking they don’t need so much experience on desks?

Bankers admit pricing bonds has often become more routine. But when markets get difficult, or situations do, as with Equinix’s recent pulled deal, you need experience.

We also talk to Ana Fati and Mike Turner about the latest plunge down for Thames Water after shareholders refused to put in much needed equity. What are bond investors and lenders thinking about the UK water sector?

And it’s been a huge week for African bond markets, with Zambia finally getting its official creditors and bondholders to agree to a restructuring. This one is meant to be tougher to bondholders, but if Zambia does well economically, it will have to pay extra. George Collard explores whether that is a good thing, or will prove a burden.