Corporate Debt

UK $2 bln fintech star risks public-market curse

19 September 2018

Funding Circle’s IPO may value it at a lofty 15 times 2017 revenue. That’s justified if it keeps growing at a breakneck rate, and its untested models can weather a downturn. The risk is that a high valuation and investors’ rosy expectations spur the group to take too much risk.

Blackstone’s $5.5 bln bond inverts debt hierarchy

13 September 2018

Steve Schwarzman’s buyout firm is selling debt to fund its takeover of Thomson Reuters’ financial data arm. The terms allow the owners to pay themselves cash even in tough times. Such undemanding rules make these high-yield bonds look more like stock - but without the upside.

AIG’s lost decade is not yet behind it

13 September 2018

The insurer, rescued with a controversial $182 billion bailout in the 2008 crisis, has sold assets like AIA, rejigged operations, repaid the U.S. government, worked through CEOs and even started making acquisitions again. A new direction is emerging, but investors remain wary.

Lehman is long-term champion in Wall Street hubris

12 September 2018

Take a firm with leaders seasoned from previous crises. Add a bubble in an asset they considered their specialty. Let them ignore their own risk rules and throw in supine watchdogs. How Dick Fuld crashed Lehman should scare sense into generations of bankers and overseers.

Spectre of the late 1930s haunts Ray Dalio

12 September 2018

The Bridgewater founder made positive returns in 2008 when few other asset managers did. Today, he tells Breakingviews, he worries about the U.S. deficit and debt pressures that could soon go critical. The risk of populism and conflict sounds eerily like the pre-war years.

UK landlords’ lifeboat has a Debenhams-shaped leak

11 September 2018

As British retailers flounder, the groups that rent them floor space have been pointing to continuing robust demand for prime locations. Debenhams’ potential restructuring not only threatens a key source of rental income. It also undermines landlords’ main counterargument.

Bondholders face risky last bet at Casino owner

6 September 2018

Credit markets are growing increasingly nervous about Rallye, the indebted parent of the French grocer. Luckily, owner Jean-Charles Naouri can draw on bank lines to repay debt. But the more Rallye borrows from lenders, the fewer assets will be left if it eventually collapses.

Foreign exodus to test Italy’s bond market buffers

31 August 2018

Fear of bold public spending is spooking foreign investors, making it harder for the government to fund itself. Italy can lean on banks and local savings to plug the gap. But gorging on debt hurts lenders and growth. And “Quitaly” concerns may lead Italians to move cash abroad.

Cyprus’ bad debt cleanup has lessons for Italy

28 August 2018

Bank of Cyprus will sell 2.7 bln euros in non-performing loans to private equity group Apollo. A price of nearly half book value is higher than comparable deals in Italy or Greece, thanks to government reforms. That should lead to healthier, more profitable banks.

Italy’s Trump card shows bond market fragility

24 August 2018

The U.S. President offered to buy Italian debt, according to one newspaper. Donald Trump may want to help a eurosceptic government but has limited scope to mitigate the damage that Rome’s policies are inflicting on domestic asset prices. Help is better sought closer to home.

Kroenke’s Arsenal buyout is a game of two halves

7 August 2018

The U.S. mogul is buying out shareholders of the London soccer club, with the help of a $721 mln Deutsche Bank loan. By borrowing the funds himself, Kroenke avoids burdening the underperforming team’s finances. But once he has control, he may still leverage it up to pay dividends.

How Sergio Marchionne saved Fiat and Chrysler

30 July 2018

The automakers’ former boss, who has died at 66, rescued both from the wrecker’s yard. His push for breakups and consolidation also helped produce better shareholder returns than his main rivals. A new selection of Breakingviews columns offers a taste of his 14-year tenure.

HNA’s market thaw provides only cold comfort

20 July 2018

Three listed units of the troubled Chinese conglomerate lost a combined $1.5 bln in value after long trading halts ended. It signals a lack of confidence about HNA’s restructuring plans as it regroups without its late chairman. Pity investors trapped by a 10 pct downside limit.

Univision broadcasts a warning to today’s buyouts

11 July 2018

The Spanish language TV company is trying sell websites it bought two years ago. The Onion – no joke – was never a fit. Neither was a massive debt load imposed 11 years ago when five private owners bought it. With lenders now looser than ever, private equity risks painful reruns.

Chairman’s death intensifies HNA uncertainty

4 July 2018

The accidental death of co-founder Wang Jian adds to questions about the future of the embattled conglomerate. His precise remit at the closely held group was not clear. Unlike some other big private Chinese outfits, however, HNA was not reliant on a single leader.

Recordati take-under is painful reality check

2 July 2018

CVC is buying 52 pct of the Italian pharma group for 3 bln euros, a valuation 18 pct below the market price. A share rally following the death of patriarch Giovanni Recordati did not match growth prospects. Minority shareholders must now decide whether to hold out for more.

CVC’s Italian pharma foray could prompt a headache

28 June 2018

The buyout firm is in talks to acquire rare diseases player Recordati, worth 7 bln euro on the market. The group’s profit margins and international presence are appealing. But CVC may need to load on too much debt to secure decent returns.

AC Milan’s UEFA loss is Elliott’s gain

28 June 2018

The Italian soccer club has been excluded from next year’s Europa League given doubts over its finances. The ban likely curbs its struggling Chinese owners’ ability to resell it. But it boosts the chances that creditor Elliott ends up taking on the team at a rock-bottom price.

Euro banks’ leverage games mock Basel playbook

25 June 2018

The Bank for International Settlements says European lenders flatter their leverage ratios by shrinking balance sheets just before reporting dates. It shows how global rules are weakened by uneven implementation. The danger is that banks’ profits are riskier than they look.

UK estate agents wounded by taxes and technology

25 June 2018

Britain’s largest real estate broker, Countrywide, has become the latest to warn earnings will fall as transactions dwindle. Higher taxes have hit amateur landlords while online property companies are squeezing fees. Given high fixed costs, agents will struggle to plug the gap.