Private Equity

  • Cobham take-private debt starts syndication

    Cobham take-private debt starts syndication

    Loans backing Advent’s takeover of UK defence contractor Cobham, which received government approval over Christmas, have started general syndication, bringing welcome new money loans with a margins on the right side of 400bp.

    20 Jan 2020
  • United preps bond financing package for Vivacom takeover

    United preps bond financing package for Vivacom takeover

    Southern Eastern European telecoms group United Group, a BC Partners and KKR portfolio company, is preparing an all-bond financing package for its takeover of Bulgaria’s Vivacom, marketing new senior secured bonds and an add-on to its existing 2025 PIK notes.

    20 Jan 2020
  • Kiloutou scores flexibility with loan-to-bond refi

    Kiloutou scores flexibility with loan-to-bond refi

    French equipment leasing firm Kiloutou locked in an opportunistic refinancing of its loans with a new dual tranche €820m high yield bond on Thursday, easing its covenant constraints at the expense of adding call protection. At initial talk, the deal appeared to have little pricing rationale, but the market proved keen to support it, and the company added an extra €40m and priced through guidance.

    05 Dec 2019

  • CVC-owned April preps rapid refi

    French insurance brokerage April, a CVC portfolio company, has returned to the leveraged loan market to refinance the acquisition debt it raised in April, taking advantage of squeezed credit spreads and the expiry of its six month call protection.

    14 Nov 2019

  • KKR stacks up dry powder with monster new fund

    KKR announced has closed its European Fund V, a €5.8bn vehicle looking for deals in western Europe. The company’s EMEA private equity funds are investing a combined $11.6bn at the moment, meaning the new fund offers a huge increase in firepower.

    05 Nov 2019
  • Caffeinated high yield buzzing as coffee bonds mandated

    Caffeinated high yield buzzing as coffee bonds mandated

    Two coffee firms are marketing high yield bonds this week, as a strong market backdrop encourages sponsors to lock in cheap funding. The two issues sit at opposite ends of the coffee spectrum — service station self-serve and high end barista-style kit — but both companies are sponsor-owned single-B names.

    15 Oct 2019
  • ‘Net short’ clause might fail, but win anyway

    ‘Net short’ clause might fail, but win anyway

    Clauses to stop investors who are ‘net short’ a particular credit influencing any restructuring or default are becoming more common, with buyout debt for Bain Capital’s Kantar spinout and Blackstone’s Merlin take-private including the new terms. These may not be watertight, but that doesn’t matter — the point is to make it awkward for investors taking this approach.

    08 Oct 2019
  • Bain and Blackstone buyout bonds clamp down on ‘net short’ investors

    Bain and Blackstone buyout bonds clamp down on ‘net short’ investors

    The bond leg of the loan-dominated buyout packages for Kantar and Merlin hit the market on Monday, giving investors a chance to buy subordinated debt in size. But both Bain Capital, and Blackstone, the sponsors, have included controversial provisions to limit the rights of noteholders who are ‘net short’.

    07 Oct 2019
Private Equity News Archive