New Credit Hurdle Looms for Banks.

The article discusses implications for U.S. and European banks of the approaching maturity of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of floating rate notes. Issued in 2006, these notes will come due during 2008 and 2009, a period likely to be marked by banks' continuing struggle to secure capital. Analyst Alex Roever believes $787 billion worth of notes will have to be retired before 2010.