Capital markets

Navient and Nelnet, the two largest student loan servicers, avoided downgrades on some $18 billion of bonds by extending their maturities. Getting the required consents from investors would normally take ages, but recent innovations speeded the process.

Double-digit gains in assets under management and administration and higher interest rates more than offset rising expenses.

The number of deals in early 2017 was similar to the same period last year, though the pricing has increased. Also see which M&A advisers were the most active for each region during 2016 in our annual ranking.

The use of artificial intelligence in capital markets is predicted to displace people all over the Street. At the same time, a few new jobs will be created.

It’s unclear whether connecting lenders and borrowers over the internet offers any advantages over traditional lending, according to panelists at the Structured Finance Industry Group conference in Vegas.