New Italian bank illimity is closing in on more shipping deals after revealing its entry into the sector in May.

The lender, led by banker and former government minister Corrado Passera, refinanced domestic shipowner Navigazione Montanari.

The €35m ($42m) loan allowed the shipowner to acquire two product tankers, the 50,000-dwt Leopard Moon and Leopard Sun (both built 2013), from Grindrod of Singapore for $21.4m