Is this the biggest show in town?
The Pullman Group: Named after its managing director, David Pullman, who started the work on the Bowie bonds in late 1996 when the structured asset sales division was owned by Gruntal & Co. It was then sold to Fahnestock, and in April rechristened Pullman Structured Asset Sales, or the Pullman Group for short. So far the team of half a dozen bankers is the firm to have arranged asset-backed securities for individuals.
Capital Company of America Entertainment Finance: The entertainment finance group of Nomura Securities is run by Ethan Penner, and he and his small team of six bankers are to be minority equity holders in the division when it is spun off from its parent (Nomura will retain overall control). Their strategy is to lend between $5 million and $100 million a transaction to musicians, independent film makers, sports stars and sports teams. A portfolio of loans will then be bundled together and securitized. The first such transaction, for a minimum of $250 million, was initially planned for March this year, but is still some way off completion.