Top news
Direct lenders cut fees, adapt to survive
Loans Market has matured and lenders are facing intense competition
BY DAVID BROOKE
53ûDIRECTûLENDERSûGRAPPLINGû
WITHûSEVEREûCOMPETITIONûINûTHEû
53ûMIDDLEûMARKETûAREûLOWERINGû
THEûFEESûTHEYûCHARGEûTOûINVESTORSû
ANDûADOPTINGûOTHERûAGGRESSIVEû
TERMSûASûTHEYûLOOKûTOûADAPTûTOûANû
INTENSEûNEWûLENDINGûLANDSCAPE
4HEûPROLIFERATIONûOFûPRIVATEû
CREDITûANDûDIRECTûLENDERSûINûTHEû
LASTûTHREEûYEARSûHASûRESULTEDûINûAû
RACEûAMONGûNEWûANDûEXISTINGû
PLAYERSûTOûRAISEûCAPITALûBUILDû
SCALEûANDûSHOWûRETURNSûWITHûNEWû
ENTRANTSûUNDERûPARTICULARû
PRESSUREûTOûGROWûQUICKLYûINûORDERû
TOûGRABûEFlCIENCIESûOFûSCALE
“The market is becoming
MOREûMATUREûxû%XPERIENCEDû
MANAGERSûWITHûFOURûORûlVEûFUNDSû
MAYûHAVEûAûTEMPLATEûANDûNEWû
entrants are likely to offer
DISCOUNTSûANDûBREAKSvûSAIDûONEû
FUNDûMANAGER
-IDDLE
MARKETûDIRECT
LENDINGû
STRATEGIESûRAISEDû53BNûINû
ûUPûFROMû53BNûANDû
53BNûINûûANDûû
RESPECTIVELYûACCORDINGûTOû,0#ûDATA
-EANûMANAGEMENTûFEESûFORû
ûVINTAGEûFUNDSûSTANDûATûû
ANDûPERFORMANCEûFEESûAVERAGEû
ûACCORDINGûTOûDATAûFROMûDATAû
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lNANCIALûCRISISûRECORDûNUMBERûOFû
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AVERAGEûMANAGEMENTûANDû
PERFORMANCEûFEESûDOWNûTOûû
ANDûûRESPECTIVELY
)NûûMANAGEMENTûFEESû
AVERAGEDûûANDûPERFORMANCEû
FEESûAVERAGEDû
HITTING HURDLES
To offset the market pressure on
FEESûSOMEûMANAGERSûAREûALSOû
SETTINGûLOWERûHURDLEûRATESû
WHICHûREPRESENTûAûMINIMUMû
lGUREûTHATûAûMANAGERûHASûTOûHITû
BEFOREûTHEYûAREûPAIDûFORûFUNDû
PERFORMANCE
!ûGUIDELINEûHURDLEûRATEûISû
AROUNDûûBELOWûTHEûEXPECTEDû
RETURNûFORûTHEûFUNDû2ATESûFORûALLû
PRIVATEûDEBTûASSETûCLASSESûWEREûATû
THEûLOWESTûINûûATûANûAVERAGEû
OFûûBEFOREûCOMINGûBACKûUPûTOû
ûINûûANDû
&ORûVEHICLESûPROVIDINGûSENIORû
LOANSûTHISûRANGEûHASûFALLENûTOû
AROUNDû
ûASûAûRESULTûOFûAûPRICEû
compression for unitranche loans
INûTHEûLASTûCOUPLEûOFûYEARSû
FOLLOWINGûTHEûINCREASINGûNUMBERû
OFûFUNDSûNOWûOFFERINGûTHEûPRODUCT
A unitranche is the
COMBINATIONûOFûSENIORûANDû
JUNIORûDEBTûINTOûAûSINGLEûLOANûATûAû
BLENDEDûCOSTûFORûTHEûBORROWERû
3OMEûINVESTORSûHAVEûQUESTIONEDû
WHYûHURDLEûRATESûAREûCOMINGû
DOWNûINûWHATûHADûBEENûAûRISINGû
RATEûENVIRONMENTûUNTILûTHISûYEARû
7ITHûLOANSûBEINGûAûmOATING
RATEû
INSTRUMENTûTHEûRATEûINCREASESû
PROVIDEDûEXTRAûYIELDûFORûLENDERS
h)TûHASûBEENûDISAPPOINTINGûTOû
SEEûHURDLEûRATESûCOMEûDOWNû
WITHûBASEûRATESûGOINGûUPû7HYû
SHOULDûTHEûTWOûHAVEûANûINVERSEû
relationship to each other as
SPREADSûHAVENTûCOMEûDOWNûASû
FASTûASûBASEûRATESûHAVEûINCREASEDû
OVERûTHEûRECENTûYEARSvûSAIDû.IELSû
"ODENHEIMûSENIORûDIRECTORûATû
RESEARCHûOUTlTûBlNANCE
h;&UNDûMANAGERS=ûAREûLOOKINGû
ATûITûTOOûSIMPLISTICALLYû4HEREûISû
Banks take hit on challenging loans
Loans Deals for Evonik unit and Iberconsa price with painfully deep discounts
BY CLAIRE RUCKIN
5NDERWRITINGûBANKSûHAVEûTAKENû
AûHITûONûTWOû%UROPEANûLEVERAGEDû
BUYOUTûLOANSûASûINVESTORSûTAKEûANû
UNFORGIVINGûAPPROACHûTOûMOREû
CHALLENGINGûCREDITS
,OANSûBACKINGûPRIVATEûEQUITYû
lRMû!DVENTSûõBNûACQUISITIONûOFû
German chemicals group EVONIKSû
METHACRYLATESûPLASTICSûUNITû
MADRIDûANDû0LATINUMû%QUITYSû
ACQUISITIONûOFûAûMAJORITYûSTAKEûINû
3PAINSûFROZENûlSHûPRODUCERû
IBERCONSAûHAVEûBEENûOFFEREDûATû
DEEPûDISCOUNTSûSUGGESTINGûTHATû
LEADûBANKSûHAVEûTAKENûLOSSES
$ESPITEûHAVINGûAûLOTûOFû
MONEYûTOûPUTûTOûWORKûINûLIGHTû
OFûLOWûDEALûVOLUMESûTHISûYEARû
INVESTORSûAREûPUSHINGûBACKû
AGAINSTûMOREûTRICKYûCREDITSû
DEMANDINGûTOûBEûPAIDûUPûORû
REFUSINGûTOûDOûTHEMûALTOGETHER
"ANKSûHAVEûSTRUGGLEDûTOûHITû
BUDGETûINûûANDûEVENT
DRIVENûUNDERWRITESûAREûONEû
OFûTHEûFEWûPROlTABLEûTRADESû
LEFTûINûTHEûMARKETû(OWEVERû
INûORDERûTOûWINûBUSINESSû
banks are agreeing to tight
TERMSûTHATûCANûBACKlREûIFûAû
DEALûSTRUGGLES
h)TûISûAûHARDûMARKETûTOûREADû
ANDûWHATEVERûYOUûTHINKûABOUTû
WHETHERûTHINGSûAREûENDûORûLATEû
CYCLEûTHEREûAREûCLEARLYûTOPûOFû
THEûMARKETûTYPEûDEALSûCOMINGû
WITHûTESTINGûLEVERAGEûTESTINGû
ASSUMPTIONSûANDûTESTINGû
STRUCTURESvûAûSENIORûINVESTORû
SAID
4HATûPOINTûISûUNDERLINEDûBYû
THEûFACTûTHATû%VONIKSûõBNû
LOANûWASûMETûWITHûSOMEû
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AWAITEDûBYûINVESTORS
h%VONIKûISûONEûOFûTHEûMOREû
COMPLICATEDûCOMMODITIES
EXPOSEDûBORROWERSûANDûISû
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4HEûlNANCINGûCOMPRISESûAû
õMûSEVEN
YEARû4ERMû,OANû
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EQUIVALENTû53û
DOLLARûSEVEN
YEARûLOANûANDûAû
õMû
YEARûREVOLVINGû
CREDITûFACILITY
"OTHûTHEûEUROûANDûDOLLARû
DENOMINATEDûTERMûLOANSûWILLû
PRICEûATûBPûOVERû,IBORûTHEû
WIDEûENDûOFûBPnBPû
GUIDANCEûANDûWILLûCOMEûATûAû
nû/)$ûFROMûû/)$û
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!TûBPûANDûû/)$ûTHEû
BANKSûWILLûSACRIlCEûMOSTûIFûNOTû
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h)TûISûAûLOTûOFûWORKûANDûTIMEû
ANDûEFFORTûTOûENDûUPûNOTû
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SENIORûBANKERûSAID
Barclays ISûLEADûLEFTûONûTHEû
DOLLARûTRANCHEûWHILEûDeutsche
Bank ANDûGoldman Sachs are
BOOKRUNNERSûBank of America
Merrill LynchûBank of Chinaû
HelabaûHSBCûRBC ANDûNatWest
Markets AREûMANDATEDûLEADû
ARRANGERS
3OFT
CALLûPROTECTIONûOFûû
HASûALSOûBEENûEXTENDEDûTOûû
MONTHSûFROMûSIXûMONTHSû
ALONGSIDEûAûNUMBERûOFûOTHERû
DOCUMENTûCHANGES
)NVESTORSûHAVEûBEENûASKEDûTOû
RECOMMITûTOûTHEûREVISEDû
lNANCINGûBYû-ONDAY
h%VONIKûHASûVERYûLARGEûMARKETû
SHAREûGENERATESûAûLOTûOFûCASHmOWû
ANDûLEVERAGEûISûMODESTû"UTû
THEREûISûEXPECTEDûTOûBEûAûCYCLICALû
DECLINEûINûTHEûNEXTûYEARûORûTWOû
SOûTHEREûISûAûBITûOFûNERVOUSNESSû
AROUNDûLOANûLIQUIDITYûANDûTHEû
LEVELSûITûCOULDûDROPûTOûONûTHEû
SECONDARYûMARKETvûAûTHIRDû
SENIORûBANKERûSAID
“It is a hard market to
read and whatever you
think about whether
things are end or late
cycle, there are clearly
top of the market type
deals coming with
testing leverage”
“Experienced
managers with four or
five funds may have
a template and new
entrants are likely to
offer discounts and
breaks”