LBO model: swap rate

Say you are modelling a standard TLB, for example a EUR TLB.

When modelling the interest expense, would you take interest rate to be 5 year swap rate? Just as I understand the sponsor would look to refi the TLB at the 5 year mark and would also likely fix their floating exposure.

Or would you simply use the Euribor rate?

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3 year swap rate for 5 year term loan (assuming you refi at 3 year mark) and 5 year swap rate for 7 year tlb ( refi at 5 year mark)?

 
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Some colour from my personal experience: typically you wouldn't use swaps and just go with 3M EURIBOR instead (either today's 3M EURIBOR applied across full forecast period, or 3M EURIBOR spot curve applied to full forecast period). However, with increasing interest rates sponsors are starting to hedge a larger % of floating exposure and I have seen a couple situations where they would ask us for indicative swap rates including credit charges to incorporate in their models. Also, with the EURIBOR curve being inverted, it may be beneficial from a model return perspective to use a 4/5yr swap rate as that rate will be lower than 3M EURIBOR, hence resulting in (slightly higher) returns.

A bit less relevant, but just in general it wouldn't make sense for a sponsor to put a swap for the full tenor of a TLB or FRN. Since long-term debt goes current 1 year ahead of maturity, which substantially impacts ratings, you should assume debt is refi'd at least 1 year prior to maturity hence a swap tenor should also be assumed 1 year prior to maturity (i.e. 4yrs swap for 5yrs TLB/FRN). 

 

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