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Public-to-private buy-outs, distress costs and private equity

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  • Charlie Weir
  • Mike Wright
  • Louise Scholes

Abstract

This article extends previous work by testing the financial distress costs hypothesis in the context of the UK, a contract-based distress resolution system, and by considering the role of private equity firms. Using a hand-collected dataset covering 115 public-to-private buy-outs (PTPs) completed in the period 1998 to 2001 and 115 randomly selected firms that remained public, we find contrasting evidence to that for US PTPs. Consistent with the financial distress costs model, firms going private are more likely to have better asset collateralization, have less debt and be more diversified. However, we also find that UK PTPs are more likely to be younger, experience poor stock market performance and be smaller than firms remaining public. In addition, PTPs did not have lower R&D or higher free cash flows. Our results therefore, indicate that in the UK financial distress costs may not be central to the decision to go private.We also find that private equity providers are more likely to be involved in the process if the firm going private is more diversified, has a higher Q ratio and had been quoted for a shorter period of time and have lower board shareholdings. This suggests that private equity providers are more interested in growth prospects than potential financial distress costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Charlie Weir & Mike Wright & Louise Scholes, 2008. "Public-to-private buy-outs, distress costs and private equity," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(10), pages 801-819.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:apfiec:v:18:y:2008:i:10:p:801-819
    DOI: 10.1080/09603100701222283
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Renneboog, L.D.R. & Simons, T. & Wright, M., 2005. "Leveraged Public to Private Transactions in the UK," Discussion Paper 2005-60, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    2. Franks, Julian & Sussman, Oren, 2003. "Financial Distress and Bank Restructuring of Small to Medium Size UK Companies," CEPR Discussion Papers 3915, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    Cited by:

    1. Achleitner, Ann-Kristin & Andres, Christian & Betzer, André & Weir, Charlie, 2008. "Economic consequences of private equity investments on the German stock market," CEFS Working Paper Series 2008-05, Technische Universität München (TUM), Center for Entrepreneurial and Financial Studies (CEFS).
    2. Sarah Osborne & Dean Katselas & Larelle Chapple, 2012. "The preferences of private equity investors in selecting target acquisitions: An international investigation," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 37(3), pages 361-389, December.
    3. Ann†Kristin Achleitner & André Betzer & Marc Goergen & Bastian Hinterramskogler, 2013. "Private Equity Acquisitions of Continental European Firms: the Impact of Ownership and Control on the Likelihood of Being Taken Private," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 19(1), pages 72-107, January.
    4. Ann-Kristin Achleitner & Christian Andres & Andre Betzer & Charlie Weir, 2011. "Wealth effects of private equity investments on the German stock market," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 217-239.
    5. Ann†Kristin Achleitner & André Betzer & Jasmin Gider, 2010. "Do Corporate Governance Motives Drive Hedge Fund and Private Equity Fund Activities?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 16(5), pages 805-828, November.
    6. Marc Berninger & Markus Klug & Dirk Schiereck, 2018. "Börsenrückzüge infolge steigender Corporate-Governance-Anforderungen – Empirische Evidenz von 13 europäischen Kapitalmärkten [Delistings due to Increased Corporate Governance Requirements – Empiric," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 70(4), pages 351-391, December.
    7. Achleitner, Ann-Kristin & Betzer, André & Gider, Jasmin, 2008. "Do corporate governance motives drive hedge funds and private equity activities?," CEFS Working Paper Series 2008-11, Technische Universität München (TUM), Center for Entrepreneurial and Financial Studies (CEFS).

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