What made me say that?
Last week US Foodservice, an American wholesaler being bought by private-equity groups, cancelled a $3.6 billion bond-and-loan deal when lenders balked at the lack of protection they were being offered. In Australia, private-equity firms pulled out at the last minute from the country's biggest takeover, complaining of the high cost of debt. This week the sale of a British retailer fell into confusion, after two private-equity bidders withdrew. The prospect of dwindling returns makes buy-out firms reluctant to club together to buy the big companies they covet; banks, meanwhile, are growing wary of offering their own capital as “bridge” finance. Shares in Blackstone, a private-equity chieftain that listed on the stock market last month, have fallen below their offer price.
Rising long-term interest rates have pushed up the cost of borrowing. Sensing a shift in the economics of the industry, creditors around the world have started questioning the easy money offered to private-equity firms, which feed off risky types of debt. The debacle in the US sub-prime mortgage arena has opened many eyes, or so it seems.
For Indian promoters betting on lucrative valuations fueled by PE bidding wars, it spells trouble. What an opportunity they missed…
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