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Fund Managers under pressure: Rationale and Determinants of Secondary Buyouts

Author

Listed:
  • Sridhar Arcot

    (ESSEC Business School)

  • Zsuzsanna Fluck

    (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris sciences et lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • José-Miguel Gaspar

    (ESSEC Business School)

  • Ulrich Hege

    (IHEC - Institut des hautes études commerciales (Carthage, Tunisie) - UCAR - Université de Carthage (Tunisie))

Abstract

The fastest growing segment of private equity (PE) deals is secondary buyouts (SBOs)—sales from one PE fund to another. Using a comprehensive sample of leveraged buyouts, we investigate whether SBOs are value-maximizing, or reflect opportunistic behavior. To proxy for adverse incentives, we develop buy and sell pressure indexes based on how close PE funds are to the end of their investment period or lifetime, their unused capital, reputation, deal activity, and fundraising frequency. We report that funds under pressure engage more in SBOs. Pressured buyers pay higher multiples, use less leverage, and syndicate less suggesting that their motive is to spend equity. Pressured sellers exit at lower multiples and have shorter holding periods. When pressured counterparties meet, deal multiples depend on differential bargaining power. Moreover, funds that invested under pressure underperform.

Suggested Citation

  • Sridhar Arcot & Zsuzsanna Fluck & José-Miguel Gaspar & Ulrich Hege, 2015. "Fund Managers under pressure: Rationale and Determinants of Secondary Buyouts," Post-Print hal-01453163, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01453163
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.08.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Degeorge, Francois & Martin, Jens & Phalippou, Ludovic, 2016. "On secondary buyouts," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(1), pages 124-145.
    2. Jia, Xiao & McCourt, Maurice, 2022. "Global leveraged buyout deal performance: A cross-border cross-cultural perspective," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Andrieu, Guillaume & Groh, Alexander Peter, 2018. "Specialist versus generalist investors: Trading off support quality, investment horizon and control rights," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 459-478.
    4. Giovannetti, Andrea & Pipic, Denis, 2023. "Shaking hands with common foes: Clique premium and information diffusion in private equity networks," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    5. Bian, Bo & Li, Yingxiang & Nigro, Casimiro A., 2022. "Conflicting fiduciary duties and fire sales of VC-backed start-ups," LawFin Working Paper Series 35, Goethe University, Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance (LawFin).
    6. Dyaran Bansraj & Han Smit & Vadym Volosovych, 2020. "Can Private Equity Funds Act as Strategic Buyers? Evidence from Buy-and-Build Strategies," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-041/IV, Tinbergen Institute.
    7. Benjamin Hammer & Heiko Hinrichs & Bernhard Schwetzler, 2018. "Does culture affect the performance of private equity buyouts?," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 393-469, May.
    8. Hege, Ulrich & Lovo, Stefano & Slovin, Myron B. & Sushka, Marie E., 2018. "Divisional buyouts by private equity and the market for divested assets," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 21-37.
    9. Fang, Dawei, 2019. "Dry powder and short fuses: Private equity funds in emerging markets," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 48-71.
    10. Swaminathan Balasubramaniam & Armando Gomes & SangMok Lee, 2019. "Mergers and Acquisitions with Private Equity Intermediation," 2019 Meeting Papers 1121, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    11. Maurice McCourt, 2022. "Permanent private equity: Market performance and transactions," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 45(2), pages 339-383, June.
    12. Yanzhao Li & Ju'e Guo & Yongwu Li & Xu Zhang, 2021. "Optimal exit decision of venture capital under time-inconsistent preferences," Papers 2103.11557, arXiv.org.
    13. Paul Lavery & Marian-Eliza Spaliara, 2022. "Private equity buyouts & firm exporting during the global financial crisis," Working Papers 2022_09, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    14. Phalippou, Ludovic & Rauch, Christian & Umber, Marc, 2018. "Private equity portfolio company fees," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(3), pages 559-585.
    15. Benjamin Hammer & Nils Janssen & Bernhard Schwetzler, 2021. "Cross-border buyout pricing," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 91(5), pages 705-731, July.
    16. Yanzhao Li & Ju-e Guo & Shaolong Sun & Yongwu Li, 2022. "How time-inconsistent preferences influence venture capital exit decisions? A new perspective for grandstanding," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-24, December.
    17. Paul Lavery & Jose-Maria Serena & Marina-Eliza Spaliara & Serafeim Tsoukas, 2021. "Private equity buyouts, credit constraints, and firm exports," Working Papers 2021_06, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    18. Giot, Pierre & Hege, Ulrich & Schwienbacher, Armin, 2014. "Are novice private equity funds risk-takers? Evidence from a comparison with established funds," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 55-71.
    19. Hammer, Benjamin & Marcotty-Dehm, Nikolaus & Schweizer, Denis & Schwetzler, Bernhard, 2022. "Pricing and value creation in private equity-backed buy-and-build strategies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    20. Hammer, Benjamin & Knauer, Alexander & Pflücke, Magnus & Schwetzler, Bernhard, 2017. "Inorganic growth strategies and the evolution of the private equity business model," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 31-63.
    21. Jenkinson, Tim & Sousa, Miguel, 2015. "What determines the exit decision for leveraged buyouts?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 399-408.
    22. Jean-Noël Barrot, 2017. "Investor Horizon and the Life Cycle of Innovative Firms: Evidence from Venture Capital," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(9), pages 3021-3043, September.
    23. Jelic, Ranko & Zhou, Dan & Ahmad, Wasim, 2021. "Do stressed PE firms misbehave?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Leveraged buyouts; Secondary buyouts; Private equity; Limited investment horizon; Agency conflicts in fund management;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G35 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Payout Policy
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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