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PDF | Research | Week of July 31, 2023

Quote of the Week

“Two years ago, to get a 5 percent return

you literally had to look to lending to the government of Iraq.”

– Anonymous private wealth advisor, as quoted by FT’s Katie Martin.

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The Case for Junior Capital

(Part Three)

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The Case for Junior Capital (Last of Four Parts)

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In early 2020, just before Covid came crashing down on our heads, we were in the middle of a Lead Left series called “Ten Top Myths About Private Credit”. Myth #5, published on February 20, was “No one uses mezzanine debt anymore.”


We felt compelled, after a decade of increasingly aggressive senior and unitranche financings, to point out how private equity sponsors had never stopped using junior debt as “patient capital” to help stretch leverage and provide a cushion to banks and other senior lenders.


The near-term environment offers many opportunities for both investors and issuers. Our team expects junior capital coupons to remain at or above current levels: “We want to make sure there’s an adequate spread relative to senior rates. We also think leverage will stay at these levels as recession concerns linger.”...

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Chart of the Week

Indexed Returns

Almost two decades of data show strong junior capital returns relative to other credit.

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Source: PE Buyout & Mezzanine – Cambridge Associates, MM direct lending; Cliffwater CDLI, High yield; ICE BofA US High Yield Index, Broadly syndicated; S&P/LSTA LL

(Past performance is no guarantee of future results.)

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Stat of the Week

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Loan Stats at a Glance 

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Contact: Marina Lukatsky / S&P Global Market Intelligence

PDI Picks

Investors flock to the middle

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As previously highlighted by Lead Left, and supported by our fundraising data, junior capital strategies are becoming increasingly popular...

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Leveraged Loan Insight & Analysis

Interest coverage ratios move lower

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Interest coverage ratios have come come under pressure as base rates have moved sharply higher in the last 15 months...

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Contact: CJ Doherty/ Refinitiv LPC

The Pulse of Private Equity

Big fund fatigue

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Last week we mentioned the overall fundraising slowdown, which was highlighted in PitchBook’s US PE Breakdown...

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Contact: Alex Lykken / PitchBook

DL Deals: News & Analysis

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Year-to-Date Default Volume, Count

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Contact: Eric Rosenthal / KBRA DLD

Middle Market & Private Credit

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How Have BDC Funding Profiles Trended?

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BDCs took advantage of strong capital market conditions moving out of the pandemic to issue record amounts of unsecured debt, which enhanced funding flexibility and extended funding durations...

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Contact: Brad Hamner / FitchRatings

Covenant Trends 

Distribution of MFN Maturity Carveout Horizons

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Download Data

Contact: Steven Miller / Covenant Review

High-Yield Bond Statistics

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Weekly fund flows source: Lipper
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Private Debt Intelligence

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North America direct lending

dry power reaches record levels

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Direct lending dry powder in North America hit a record breaking $123.9bn as of July 2023...

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Contact: Megan Harris / Preqin

Debtwire Middle-Market

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Likely-to-distress scores

highlight struggling industries

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Source: Debtwire

Out of a universe of more than 12,000 leveraged US companies, 180 are in the stressed/distressed lifecycle categories – which receive Debtwire’s likely-to-distress (LTD) scores of 50 to 99. Another 600 are in ongoing restructuring – or have an LTD score of 100...

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Contact: Ben Watson / Debtwire 

Middle Market Deal Terms at a Glance

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Contact: Stefan Shaffer / SPP Capital Partners

Select Deals in the Market

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This publication is a service to our clients and friends. It is designed only to give general information on the market developments actually covered. It is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of recent developments or to suggest parameters for any prospective financing opportunity.