High yield bond fund Proventus Capital Partners (PCP) has invested in underwater bonds issued by Preem, a large oil refinery. As maturity approaches, in the midst of a financial crisis, Preem appears unlikely to be able to refinance. Meanwhile, Preem has a complicated multi-currency capital structure with senior, secured bank loans and junior bonds. PCP has to decide whether to push for bankruptcy in a European court, or for out of court renegotiations. The case is a tool for studying the difference between liquidity problems and solvency problems, weighing bankruptcy vs. out of court restructuring, and dealing with negotiations between creditors.
Preem's creditors and owners made a deal with an 18 month extension of debt maturities and a minor equity injection in 2009. Now, in 2010 ,the new maturity is approaching, and refinancing is again unlikely. This time, all the firm's debt is coming due. What went wrong in the first restructuring and what should PCP do to facilitate a more permanent solution?
Cosmetics company L'Occitane en Provence must decide if it is the right time to go public, and, if so, where to list. The firm could list on Euronext in Paris, close to the firm's headquarters in southern France, on one of the large exchanges in the United States, or perhaps in Asia, where much of the firm's future growth is expected. The case provides opportunities to discuss the benefits and costs of going public, including valuation implications, and illustrates the choices faced by a prospective public firm that operates in a global setting.
Swedish Match is a profitable smokeless tobacco company with low debt compared to other firms in its industry. The firms CFO now wants to revise the firms conservative financial policy.
The established credit raters were criticized for inflating the mortgage credit bubble that imploded in 2008. A new rating agency, KBRA, is considering how to capitalize on the opportunity this presents and how to enter the industry. A small group of managers have to decide on a business model, how to meet hiring and funding needs, and what types of ratings to start with: municipal, corporate, or structured. Where are the needs for new ratings stronger? How can investors be convinced to use the new ratings? How can KBRA compete with Fitch, Moody's, and S&P?
Students are asked to link concealed balance sheets with firm descriptions. The case helps students understand how balance sheets reflect industry and firm characteristics.
Franz Humer, CEO of the Roche Group, must decide whether to mount a hostile tender offer for the publicly-owned shares of Roche's biotechnology subsidiary, Genentech. The case provides opportunities to analyze Roche's strategy with respect to Genentech, the pros and cons of merging the two companies with different cultures, the value of Genentech, and the tactics of a hostile tender offer.