The passing opportunity for direct lenders Companies that may have gone to the syndicated finance market are looking closely at more private alternatives. In Europe, a leveraged finance market which had effectively been on hold since the covid-19 outbreak emerged in March has been slowly waking up. But, as it does so, banks are beginning…
Socially distancing from high multiples Download PitchBook’s Report here. The median M&A multiple clocked in at 8.2x in Q1. That’s down from last year’s 9.8x median, according to PitchBook’s just-released North American M&A Report. One quarter does not a year make, but 2020 is probably an exception. The Q1 dip included two normal months, which won’t…
Retailers expected to file Chapter 11 in the coming weeks as loan bids drop between 46%-66% this year The retail sector, hit hard by the coronavirus economic shutdown, has seen a flurry Chapter 11-related activity in the last several weeks. Last week, 24 Hour Fitness hired a restructuring advisor, while JC Penny, forced to close…
How Crisis Have Affected North America-Focused Private Debt Fundraising? Private debt has ballooned in size in the decade since the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), when regulatory changes forced banks to deleverage their balance sheets, and private debt funds emerged as alternative loan providers to fill the void. But the global economic shutdown triggered by…
The biggest are the biggest for a reason Nothing much is predictable these days, but don’t expect the fundraising pecking order to change anytime soon. “Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.” The inspirational quote comes from an autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt and surely resonates with anyone forced into lockdown as…
Different problems for real assets With fear permeating the real estate market, real assets are once again coming into focus. An upcoming PitchBook analyst note provides a retrospective on 2008 and potential implications for the current situation. Cash management was difficult for LPs twelve years ago. Real assets funds aged between four and eight years,…
COVID-19 hits unitranche issuance in 1Q20 After growing for three straight quarters and hitting an all time record high in 4Q19, unitranche volume took a steep hit in 1Q20. Total U.S. unitranche issuance fell to US$11.5bn in 1Q20, down 35% from 4Q19’s record high of US$17.5bn. The “mega tranche” trend that exploded in 4Q19 at…
Private Debt Fundraising Tips the Scales into Europe in Q1 2020 Fundraising fell in the first quarter of 2020 and the balance among the regions where funds are focused has slightly changed. Private debt funds focused on North America typically dominate the fundraising market, but in Q1 the balance shifted somewhat. In Q1 2020 there…
Private equity bandwagon rolls on, but for how much longer? Fundraising for the asset class was strong in the first three months of 2020 but continuing to defy the effects of covid-19 seems unlikely. As we have noted in this column over the last couple of weeks, private debt fundraising provides a neat reflection of…
Not a good time to raise your first fund Download PitchBook’s Report here. As expected, Q1 fundraising totals were soft, according to PitchBook’s PE Breakdown Report. Just 46 funds were closed totaling $45 billion, and much of that was cinched up in January or February. For context, last year’s figures were 249 funds totaling $315 billion,…