Calm Before the Storm? By: Tom Goldblatt, Managing Partner, Ravinia Capital LLC
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Calm Before the Storm? By: Tom Goldblatt, Managing Partner, Ravinia Capital LLC Since May 1st I’ve held a series of conversations trying eligibility on their receivables. So there may to understand two things: be an extra 5 or 10% or another 15% on their inventory, but lend it with a source of repayment • What is happening now in the restructuring so when things do get better, you've got way industry, and to get it back. • trying to get a sense of expectation of work for “I think between the PPP money and our customers restructuring professionals. stretching their vendors, our customers right now have After talking to scores of bankers, investors and more liquidity than I've seen. So it's probably the calm consultants, the general consensus is that for now before the storm. I think we'll probably have some aggressive restructuring work is mostly on pause. very difficult decisions to make in 60 days, 90 days, if things don't improve. But for now, we're kind of catching Banks are being encouraged to “extend and pretend”— our breath.” giving borrowers more time to pay, pre-tending they are still creditworthy—precisely to avoid adding another “Extend and Pretend” was a common strategy used by shock to a struggling economy. I’ve heard from several lenders in 2009. In most cases this turned out to be a banks that for now they are trying to be accommodating successful approach as the economy recovered. In my as they wait and see how things unfold. opinion, it will end up being different this time due to the length of time companies will sustain loss waiting for the Norman Bobins, Vice Chairman of CIBC US Region, shared pandemic and the economic fallout to end. that, “the banks are all taking very large reserves. Right now, they are loading up based on expected defaults, to be ready for it. They're getting a lot of encouragement from the Fed to be lenient, for lack of a better word. They've encouraged banks to restructure. By restructure, I mean push payments out.” Mike Sharkey, President, Asset Based Lending at Fifth Third Business Capital, agrees: “So we're kind of in the calm before the storm right now, if things don't improve. I think we all have wishful thinking that things are going to get back to normal. I think our customers in general are flush with liquidity right now because of PPP. But I told my guys this afternoon, "You've got to be talking to your customers. Get those 13-week forecasts, because, unless there's another round of PPP, this could be the calm Restructuring work is highly correlated to bankruptcy, before the storm." and bankruptcy historically is highly correlated to the unemployment rate. If this holds (see chart), expect an He added, enormous amount of filings. “What we're trying to do on accommodations Thus, although the future is never certain, this appears to for the customer is try and help them, particularly be the calm before a blizzard of restructuring work. My if they've been viable or we've been with them advice to my fellow TMA members is to get ready to be a long time. We're trying to figure out ways to busy and do your best to use your skills and knowledge help them with their liquidity needs, but with a to save companies and help the economy. source of repayment. So if their customers are stretching them, give them an extra 30 days .