Last year it was Deutche Bank and Trump. Now it’s Credit Suisse with Archegos and Greensill. These large banks seem to have forgotten the Five C’s of banking (capacity, character, capital, collateral, and conditions). And corporate execs take a lot more risk than if they had to stand behind the loans. A sixth C could be added, check (and double-check) as Credit Suisse “admitted” they didn’t know Archegos was also borrowing (to the hilt) with other banks.
On April 5 the Wall Street Journal had a frontpage article titled, “Small-Business Owners Feel Weight of Personal Debt Guarantees.” While it wasn’t all about bank loans, a large portion of the article was about lease guarantees, as I’ve previously written personal guarantees are common with small-business bank loans.
The article made it appear banks are more willing to work out things than landlords and others. Here’s a quote from the article, “Banks don’t want to pursue guarantees,” said Alan Thomes, a managing director in charge of SBA lending at Cadence Bank N.A., noting that the process can be costly and messy. “It’s our desire to work it out,” he added.
Makes sense given another recent headline I saw, “Office-Space Subleases Flood Market.” I get what landlords are going through. When mega-companies are subleasing space it decreases the landlords leasing abilities, and they have mortgages to pay.
What this all means I really don’t know. But I do know that business buyers and business owners who are borrowing money can’t overleverage themselves. Some banks will allow borrowers to have a very low (1.1:1 or 1.2:1) debt coverage ratio (the first number is free cash flow and the second number is debt service payments). Good bankers will want their clients to have at least a 1.5:1 ratio and if it’s a small buy-sell deal a 2:1 ratio.
Prudence is a wise course of action when borrowing, and personally guaranteeing. Don’t emulate corporate types playing with other people’s money.
“Throughout the world the more wrong a man does, the more indignant is he at wrong done to him.” Anthony Trollope
“What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy.” Ursula K. LeGuin
