Dispatches: BOQ and Bendigo chat about potential merger

The markets are weighing the ratings implications of a merger between Bank of Queensland and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. The Australian revealed yesterday that the chairmen of the two mid-tier regional banks recently convened a "fireside chat" to gauge the appetite for a potential $5.5bn merger. (The Australian)

Credit Suisse is on the hunt for a new head of fixed income after Philip Noble resigned to join Queensland Treasury Corporation. (The Australian)

Macquarie Group and Deutsche Bank's infrastructure-investment arm and are among companies that have expressed interest in buying RWE's natural-gas network in Germany, valued at as much as 500m euros ($700m), according to people with knowledge of the matter. (The Age)