Loans and High Yield

GSO Capital Partners, the credit unit of private equity firm Blackstone, has raised roughly $4.5bn for its second European direct lending fund, according to an SEC filing. But as the coronavirus pandemic wrecks corporate balance sheets, several sources are concerned with how European companies will fare.

Extraordinary support measures from central banks across the world include an element of corporate lending, but all the schemes announced so far target SMEs, and companies rated BBB- and above. That leaves a gaping hole in the rescue net, which the authorities must fill.

The UK government’s offer on Friday to pay 80% of the wages of furloughed workers came in the nick of time to save thousands of jobs in manufacturing and services. But few of those affected realised they were benefiting from a German idea. The move highlights how the coronavirus crisis is causing a rapid dissemination of techniques around the world.

Dunelm, the UK homewares company, has drawn down entirely its £165m revolving credit facility, as it became the latest European firm to lean on its banking group amid the sharp economic downturn from the Covid-19 pandemic.

BBC Commercial Holdings, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC that produces and sells content to other broadcasters across the world, has decided to delay a £170m debt refinancing in the US private placement market, according to market sources, as bankers struggle to cope with price discovery.

Cuts made to senior staff in the debt markets are coming home to roost now that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are coming to bear on loans and private placements. Old hands that navigated the previous crises are in short supply as borrowers and investors look to implement deal amendments to cope with a coming recession.

Indian banks and corporations hoping to fund in the offshore loan market were already facing difficult questions, following a wide-ranging clean-up of the country’s financial system. They are now facing a worse problem: the spread of Covid-19.

These are testing times for corporations around the world as they find ways to navigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their businesses and debt profiles. Now more than ever, transparency from borrowers is absolutely key.

Institutional investors in the US private placement market are preparing for a round of covenant waivers, as companies brace for the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Bankers in turn are shelving primary issuance plans and turning their attention to winning amendment mandates.

Three UK companies have already flagged their interest in the Bank of England’s emergency commercial paper funding scheme for large businesses, announced on March 20. The big three rating agencies will help fast-track unrated investment grade issuers into the scheme, but the strict eligibility limits leave leveraged and smaller companies out in the cold.

A rush to dollars in recent days has caused dysfunctions in various corners of the financial markets. The US Federal Reserve has rushed to put out the flames, including with new measures on Monday.

The Nordic region’s credit markets are experiencing something of a lockdown as the spread of Covid-19 lead to dozens of fund providers halting withdrawals last week and the effective closure of the primary market due to a shortage of liquidity.