UPDATE 1-Lazard buys Australia's Carnegie Wylie

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 31 - Merger adviser Lazard Ltd
on Tuesday said it acquired Carnegie, Wylie & Co., an
Australian independent advisory firm, for undisclosed terms so
it can capture more business in one of the world's active deal
markets.




"We've been in Australia, but we haven't been a huge
factor," Lazard President Charles Ward said in an interview.
"This is an opportunity to be a lot bigger in one of the major
markets for M&A activity."


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Community Health, Varietal, EGL Plan Debt Sales: U.S. Corporate Bond Alert

(Bloomberg) -- Community Health System Inc., whose
purchase of Triad Hospitals Inc. will make it the biggest publicly
traded U.S. hospital company, and Varietal Distribution Merger Sub
Inc. are among borrowers seeking to raise at least $47.4 billion
of bonds in the U.S., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Companies have sold $17.3 billion of bonds this week,
compared with $31.5 billion in the same period last week. Sales
year-to-date total $590.9 billion, up from $519 billion a year
ago.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Merger market unfazed by market volatility

(Reuters) - Merger volume in the U.S. totaled $428.7 billion, compared with $352.1 billion a year ago, according to research firm Dealogic. Even as the total dollar value of the deals rose, the number of transactions fell to 1,397, from 2,012 a year ago, Dealogic said.

"We're in a very strong M&A market. There's a good probability we'll have a record year," said Jeffrey Raich, joint global head of M&A at UBS AG.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News