Enterprise Value Row

Enterprise Value Row

Bankers and prospective bidders of distressed assets are slugging it out over the valuation of businesses under the bankruptcy code.

Advertisement
    Share:
Anand Adhikari
  • Dec 23, 2017,
  • Updated Dec 28, 2017 6:51 PM IST

Bankers and prospective bidders of distressed assets are slugging it out over the valuation of businesses under the bankruptcy code. There is a provision for providing only 'liquidation value' under the code, which is a worst-case scenario, if there is no resolution. But 'liquidation value' has actually ended up becoming a starting point for buyers to bid. This is creating lot of anxiety in the banking community as a lower bid price means higher haircuts on loans.

Advertisement

While there is no provision for 'enterprise value' under the code, bankers are lobbying for a clause insertion. This would cover assets, especially in sectors such as steel and real estate, that have better value than, say, assets of an EPC business or an infrastructure player. Bankers assert that the enterprise value correctly reflects the value of the business as it takes into account debt, market capitalisation and cash on the books.

Bankers and prospective bidders of distressed assets are slugging it out over the valuation of businesses under the bankruptcy code. There is a provision for providing only 'liquidation value' under the code, which is a worst-case scenario, if there is no resolution. But 'liquidation value' has actually ended up becoming a starting point for buyers to bid. This is creating lot of anxiety in the banking community as a lower bid price means higher haircuts on loans.

Advertisement

While there is no provision for 'enterprise value' under the code, bankers are lobbying for a clause insertion. This would cover assets, especially in sectors such as steel and real estate, that have better value than, say, assets of an EPC business or an infrastructure player. Bankers assert that the enterprise value correctly reflects the value of the business as it takes into account debt, market capitalisation and cash on the books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anand Adhikari

Anand Adhikari began his journalism career with the financial weekly Guardian Investor after completing his graduation from Delhi University and ICWA in the mid-1990s. He then moved to the Delhi bureau of  Kolkata based 'The Telegraph.'

He relocated to Mumbai, the financial capital, with the Hindustan Times Group in the late 90s.

In a career spanning two and a half decades,  Adhikari has covered financial markets, corporate sector, banking, debt market, economy, central banking, and insurance. He is currently the Managing Editor of Business Today.

Read more!
Advertisement