As business development companies reel from the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, the valuations of their portfolio companies have dropped as the risk of default has grown amid a liquidity crunch. But there are steps they can take to manage the significant shock to the economy. … READ MORE >
Financial services
As private equity firms prepare to deploy cash, a backlash looms
As many middle market businesses struggle to stay above water, private equity firms are well-positioned to provide a lifeline. But there is a looming threat to the way the industry operates, and it is coming from the political sphere. … READ MORE >
As SBA accepts new applications for Paycheck Protection Program, private equity is not eligible
As the Small Business Administration began accepting applications on Monday for loans under the second round of financing for the Paycheck Protection Program, private equity firms and hedge funds will not be eligible. … READ MORE >
For private equity firms, valuations become a difficult question
How do private equity firms determine the fair value of their holdings when those values seem to change by the day, or even the hour, amid the economic havoc caused by the coronavirus? … READ MORE >
How private equity firms might qualify for SBA financing
The private equity industry is in a position to help the economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic by investing in growing companies, helping them add employees, increasing capacity with their supply chains, investing in critical infrastructure systems and improving the communities they serve. … READ MORE >
How business development companies can weather the coronavirus downturn
The stock prices of business development companies, which invest in small and midsize companies along with distressed enterprises, have experienced the sharpest and fastest decline since the financial crisis of 2008-9. Still, BDCs may ultimately have a better chance of weathering the storm without suffering the depression-level shocks that seem to have been priced into their stock prices. … READ MORE >
What lenders know about the Main Street Lending Program, and the questions that remain
Within moments of the announcement of the Main Street Lending Program, many lenders began to pour through the term sheets published by the Federal Reserve. While some answers were provided, further details are needed. Here is what we know. … READ MORE >
In the confusion of a pandemic, alternative data can show the way
Alternative data increasingly influences decision-making in today’s business climate, with growing accuracy, and impact, on the economy. … READ MORE >
How banks can help their customers navigate the coronavirus shock
Even though the CARES Act provides a stimulus package of $2.39 trillion, or 11.4% of gross domestic product — along with a relaxing of rules surrounding payment deferrals and loan modifications by banking regulators — that may not be enough to blunt the continued decline in economic activity. … READ MORE >
How family offices and their portfolio companies might qualify for loans under the CARES Act
Some family offices might be classified as a small business under the Small Business Administration. And they could be eligible for loans under the CARES Act. … READ MORE >