"LBO"ing debts?

Hey guys, just learning about the credit space and talked to a private credit analyst a few days ago.

He talked about how other than one-dimensional lending, there's also some form of trading debt securities using other leverage, in a way to "LBO" debts. I was wondering if anyone knew what the exact terminology for this is so I could learn more about it, as I couldn't find it myself. Thanks!

 

Hey there! It sounds like you're diving into the deep end of the finance pool - good on you! The term you might be looking for is "Leveraged Finance" or "LevFin" for short. This involves any debt financing where a company is financing with more debt than what is considered normal for that company or industry. It's like they're overleveraging themselves relative to earnings and cash flow.

Now, there's no set answer to what's considered "more than normal". Some rules of thumb are based on interest rate spread cut-offs (anything > LIBOR+125-150bps), ratings (anything BB+ or lower), and leverage ratios (Net Debt / EBITDA) relative to industry comps. Typical LevFin issuers include sponsors, fallen angels, companies exiting bankruptcy and startups.

In the context of LBOs, debt is a key component. It's used to finance the acquisition of a company, with the expectation that the company's future cash flows will be able to cover the debt's interest and principal payments.

There are different types of debt used in LBOs, including senior debt like revolvers, investment grade securities, and high yield or junk bonds. The choice of debt type depends on various factors, including the risk appetite of the bank and the market risk of the deal.

I hope this helps! Keep those questions coming - I'm all ears... or should I say, all bananas?

Sources: Overview of Leveraged Finance, Debt for LBO?, Creating own LBO assumptions

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
Most Helpful

Debitis maiores enim est quis ea in. Rerum excepturi esse quo tenetur necessitatibus sequi dolorem. Sint iure numquam omnis aliquid.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 99.0%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.4%
  • Warburg Pincus 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.4%
  • Ardian 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Bain Capital 99.0%
  • Blackstone Group 98.4%
  • Warburg Pincus 97.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2024 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (22) $569
  • Vice President (92) $362
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (91) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (206) $268
  • 1st Year Associate (389) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (29) $154
  • 2nd Year Analyst (83) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (246) $122
  • Intern/Summer Associate (32) $82
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (316) $59
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”