BNP Paribas Successfully Closed Leveraged Finance Europe Capital III B.V., Its Third Managed Leveraged Loans CLO.

NEW YORK -- BNP Paribas Leveraged Funds Group ("LFG") has closed a EUR 306.5 million managed CLO fund. The transaction, called Leveraged Finance Europe Capital III B.V. ("LFE Capital III"), will invest in a managed portfolio of primarily senior LBO debt across Europe for the benefit of a diversified set of institutional investors.

LFG is now managing about EUR 800 million in three CLO funds.

LFE Capital III has been structured as a Collateralized Loan Obligation ("CLO"), and will issue 6 classes of notes, with a specific rating assigned by both Moody's and S&P to 5 of them. Buying these notes will allow institutional investors to gain exposure to non-investment grade credits in Europe with long term leverage on their investment, while benefiting from LFG' expertise in leveraged finance and CLO management.

Commenting on the transaction, Jean Bergeret, Head of Leveraged Finance Europe at BNP Paribas, said: "This third transaction demonstrated the attractiveness of LFG as a manager of CLOs as the fund was heavily oversubscribed. We have been delighted by the quality of the execution of the transaction and by the broadening of our investor base."

LFE Capital III is the third CLO to be managed by LFG . The first fund, Leveraged Finance Europe Capital I B.V., was the first managed CLO investing in leveraged loans to be launched by a European bank. It closed in November 2001 and is now fully invested. Leveraged Finance Europe Capital II B.V., the 2nd managed CLO closed in September 2003 and is now fully invested.

Francois Gauvin, Head of the CLO Group said : "We have managed to obtain the lowest cost of financing ever for such a CLO fund in Europe, due to a combination of a favorable market, a good execution and the good performance of our two previous transactions."

LFE Capital III shows the continued development of BNP Paribas' leveraged fund business and will contribute to increasing capital dedicated to the European leveraged loan and mezzanine market.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

LFG is, within Leveraged Finance Europe ("LFE") , the dedicated unit responsible for managing currently three CLO Funds. LFE is a leader in European LBO finance serving nearly 100 sponsor clients with 35 professionals in Paris, London, Frankfurt, Madrid and Milan. From 1990 to 2003, LFE arranged or participated in 190 leveraged loan transactions totaling over EUR 16.1 billion of underwritten capital.

BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is an international financial services group, with solid roots in Europe, leading positions in Asia and an active presence in the United States. It is the first bank in terms of net income and market capitalisation in the Euro zone. BNP Paribas has one of the largest international banking networks, present in over 85 countries with 89,100 employees, including 67,400 in Europe. The group has three core businesses: Corporate and Investment Banking, Asset Management & Services, and Retail Banking.