Why Are Dividend Recaps Increasing?
About this lesson
Why Are Dividend Recaps Increasing? Private equity funds are struggling to sell companies. But they need to return capital to keep investors happy (currently taking place at the fourth lowest rate in 25 yrs). If you can’t sell a business, dividend recaps offer a solution: raise more debt to distribute cash. Private credit investors have facilitated such deals to the tune of $43 billion as of early August. Up from $7.4 billion for the same period in 2023 and nearly matching the explosion in 2021 when debt was substantially cheaper. When liquidity is tight, it can increase risk. Additional leverage means less cash flow to fund growth and less flexibility in the event revenues decline. In March of 2023, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer cited the increase in dividend recaps as “incongruous in a time of supposed stringency” after one of the fastest tightening cycles in recent history. Keeping investors happy has a price. ~~~ Notes: WSJ (image source): https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/private-equity-firms-desperate-for-cash-turn-to-a-familiar-trick-95368c27
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