IFR Magazine – June 08, 2019

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

Top news


Direct lenders cut fees, adapt to survive


„ Loans Market has matured and lenders are facing intense competition

BY DAVID BROOKE

53ûDIRECTûLENDERSûGRAPPLINGû
WITHûSEVEREûCOMPETITIONûINûTHEû
53ûMIDDLEûMARKET ûAREûLOWERINGû
THEûFEESûTHEYûCHARGEûTOûINVESTORSû
ANDûADOPTINGûOTHERûAGGRESSIVEû
TERMSûASûTHEYûLOOKûTOûADAPTûTOûANû
INTENSEûNEWûLENDINGûLANDSCAPE
4HEûPROLIFERATIONûOFûPRIVATEû
CREDITûANDûDIRECTûLENDERSûINûTHEû
LASTûTHREEûYEARSûHASûRESULTEDûINûAû
RACEûAMONGûNEWûANDûEXISTINGû
PLAYERSûTOûRAISEûCAPITAL ûBUILDû
SCALEûANDûSHOWûRETURNS ûWITHûNEWû
ENTRANTSûUNDERûPARTICULARû
PRESSUREûTOûGROWûQUICKLYûINûORDERû
TOûGRABûEFlCIENCIESûOFûSCALE
“The market is becoming
MOREûMATUREûxû%XPERIENCEDû
MANAGERSûWITHûFOURûORûlVEûFUNDSû
MAYûHAVEûAûTEMPLATEûANDûNEWû
entrants are likely to offer
DISCOUNTSûANDûBREAKS vûSAIDûONEû
FUNDûMANAGER

-IDDLE
MARKETûDIRECT
LENDINGû
STRATEGIESûRAISEDû53BNûINû
 ûUPûFROMû53BNûANDû
53BNûINûûANDû û
RESPECTIVELY ûACCORDINGûTOû,0#ûDATA

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 ûACCORDINGûTOûDATAûFROMûDATAû
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)Nû ûMANAGEMENTûFEESû
AVERAGEDûûANDûPERFORMANCEû
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HITTING HURDLES
To offset the market pressure on
FEES ûSOMEûMANAGERSûAREûALSOû
SETTINGûLOWERûHURDLEûRATES û
WHICHûREPRESENTûAûMINIMUMû
lGUREûTHATûAûMANAGERûHASûTOûHITû
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PERFORMANCE
!ûGUIDELINEûHURDLEûRATEûISû
AROUNDûûBELOWûTHEûEXPECTEDû
RETURNûFORûTHEûFUNDû2ATESûFORûALLû
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THEûLOWESTûINûûATûANûAVERAGEû
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ûINûûANDû
&ORûVEHICLESûPROVIDINGûSENIORû
LOANS ûTHISûRANGEûHASûFALLENûTOû
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ûASûAûRESULTûOFûAûPRICEû
compression for unitranche loans
INûTHEûLASTûCOUPLEûOFûYEARS û

FOLLOWINGûTHEûINCREASINGûNUMBERû
OFûFUNDSûNOWûOFFERINGûTHEûPRODUCT
A unitranche is the
COMBINATIONûOFûSENIORûANDû
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RATEû
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WITHûBASEûRATESûGOINGûUPû7HYû
SHOULDûTHEûTWOûHAVEûANûINVERSEû
relationship to each other as
SPREADSûHAVENTûCOMEûDOWNûASû
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"ODENHEIM ûSENIORûDIRECTORûATû
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

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AûHITûONûTWOû%UROPEANûLEVERAGEDû
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CHALLENGINGûCREDITS

,OANSûBACKINGûPRIVATEûEQUITYû
lRMû!DVENTSûõBNûACQUISITIONûOFû
German chemicals group EVONIKSû
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DEEPûDISCOUNTS ûSUGGESTINGûTHATû
LEADûBANKSûHAVEûTAKENûLOSSES

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banks are agreeing to tight
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LOANûWASûMETûWITHûSOMEû

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Barclays ISûLEADûLEFTûONûTHEû
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Merrill Lynch ûBank of China û
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SECONDARYûMARKET vûAûTHIRDû
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”
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