European banks are recruiting senior securitization specialists in anticipation of a pick-up in the sector in Europe, with up to €1.25trn ($1.55trn) in securitized assets expected to be sold. The European asset-backed securities market, pools of mortgages and other loans, grew fivefold between 2000 and the peak in 2006 when issuance hit $540bn, according to Dealogic. But as troubles in the US subprime mortgage market spread to Europe in 2007, issuance dried up.