Category

Capital Markets

Capital AllocationCapital Markets
May 20, 2021

Back in Fashion, Buybacks Have Corporates Scoping Capital Structure

Many corporates are deciding whether to restart share repurchase plans suspended in 2020.After the pandemic hit, the volume of share repurchases plummeted and what continued was mainly executed by companies managing the top-20 programs in terms of volume, Societe Generale bankers told assistant treasurers at a recent NeuGroup meeting sponsored by the bank. Dividend payouts, meanwhile, stayed relatively steady and were only cut or canceled as a last resort, Societe Generale said (see chart). An increasing number of companies have…
Justin Jones
Love0
BankingCapital MarketsCOVID-19
May 20, 2021

Bounce Back: Bank Loan Market Quickly Sees ‘Amazing Recovery’ 

U.S. Bank describes the speedy recovery of revolving credit facility issuance.Talk about a rebound: In the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, the value of bank loan facilities put in place by corporates tanked by more than 50% to about $200 billion. In the first quarter, it topped $500 billion, above the level reached a year prior (see chart), due in part to plummeting pricing. This was among the key insights from a loan market update by Jeff Stuart, EVP and…
Justin Jones
Love0
Capital MarketsCash & Working Capital
May 6, 2021

Moving Target: A Growing Company’s Capital Structure Matures

MUFG helps a high-growth tech company shift from convertibles to a financing mix more in line with an IG credit.The optimal capital structure for a high-growth technology company may change significantly as its business develops and its financing options increase—one reason corporates that issue convertible bonds early in their trajectory often replace them with alternatives more suited to mature businesses with investment-grade (IG) credit metrics or ratings. That takeaway sprang from a session at a recent meeting of NeuGroup for…
Justin Jones
Love0
Capital MarketsD&I
April 29, 2021

Gaining Ground on the Road to Diversity in Capital Markets Deals

NeuGroup members discuss details of including firms owned by minorities and women in debt and other transactions.Talk about timing. Members of NeuGroup for Capital Markets discussed diversity and inclusion (D&I) in capital markets transactions on the same day 11 firms owned by women, minorities and veterans joined Deutsche Bank Securities in closing a $750 million bond underwriting for the bank. The role of the 11 firms—which received about 60% of the fees—underscores the momentum of the movement among banks and corporates to…
Justin Jones
Love0
BankingCapital Markets
April 27, 2021

Deal Defense: Building a United Front When Debt Underwriters Grouse

The weeks and days leading up to the sale of a company’s debt can be nonstop crazy. Then there’s the bank group. After weeks of extremely busy days, late-night phone calls and early morning meetings, you’re just days away from a multibillion-dollar debt issuance. The phones are ringing and one (or more) of the calls is from a co-lead bank, still complaining about its share of the deal. After you manage to get off the phone, they call your boss…
Justin Jones
Love0
Capital MarketsESG
April 22, 2021

A Virtuous Cycle Including Treasury Bolsters Sustainability Efforts

Building a framework sets the stage for green bonds—an umbrella to systematize initiatives. Increased scrutiny of corporate sustainability efforts by investors and other stakeholders has made it essential for companies to place ESG initiatives into a clear framework.   Building the framework to coordinate decisions and address investor inquiries more effectively requires communication among key parts of the company, with treasury playing a critical role.These were among the takeaways from a recent meeting of NeuGroup for Capital Markets sponsored by Wells Fargo…
Justin Jones
Love0
Capital MarketsNeugroup
April 15, 2021

Fond of Fitch: Ratings Agency Gains Fans and Respect in Treasury

Members of NeuGroup for Capital Markets praise Fitch analysts and a ‘ratings-through-the-cycle’ approach.For decades, Fitch Ratings has been the third ratings agency—behind Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s—used by Fortune 500 corporates that want to ensure they maintain the two investment-grade ratings necessary to remain in the Bloomberg Barclays Bond Index. That may be changing.   At a recent meeting of NeuGroup for Capital Markets, members said they have been impressed with Fitch’s analysis over the past few years, and especially…
Justin Jones
Love0
BankingCapital MarketsSenior Executive
March 16, 2021

No Sale: Convertibles at Great Prices Fail to Impress IG Corporates

Companies rated investment grade expressed reluctance to issue convertible bonds, despite favorable conditions. It can be a nonstarter to raise the topic of convertible bonds with treasurers at investment-grade companies that can already issue debt with very low interest rates and don’t want their stock diluted when investors convert bonds to equity. But many NeuGroup members whose companies have high credit ratings, including some at a recent meeting of NeuGroup for Capital Markets, say all their banks have pitched convertibles.…
Justin Jones
Love0
Capital AllocationCapital MarketsCash & Working Capital
March 11, 2021

Do Stock Buybacks Create Value or Just Return Capital to Investors?

Members at companies with excess cash discuss whether share repurchases generate economic value for shareholders.ConocoPhillips on Wednesday announced it is resuming its share repurchase program, citing its “long-standing priority to return greater than 30% of cash from operations to shareholders annually.” The company is not alone: A recent NeuGroup Peer Research Survey showed that 82% of respondents consider the return of excess capital the primary objective of their company’s share repurchase program. Only 9% said creating shareholder value was the…
Justin Jones
Love0
Capital MarketsTalking ShopTechnology
March 9, 2021

Talking Shop: A Fintech Collects Capital Markets Pricing Data

Background: Members of NeuGroup for Capital Markets recently heard a presentation from InterPrice Technologies, a woman-owned fintech that collects pricing data for issuers. The company says its platform gives corporates access to their costs of capital “at any point in time and streamlines their communication with financing partners.” The technology “automatically aggregates bond, commercial paper and loan indications into intuitive dashboards across currencies and financing products,” InterPrice says.InterPrice on Monday announced it has raised $2.5 million in seed money led…
Justin Jones
Love0