Investor appetite for loans to finance takeovers will be given the first test of the year this week when Bank of America and JP Morgan will start marketing a $1.5bn (€1bn) loan backing US exchange Nasdaq’s acquisition of Nordic exchange group OMX.

The banks, mandated as bookrunners, have scheduled meetings with investors from tomorrow in New York and London later this week to garner demand for the multi-currency loan, which could provide a litmus test of sentiment after months of turmoil.