Bank Debt in 2006: Public Companies Take on Dry Powder & Lenders Wander the World

If the international ship finance business is a body, comprising complex system of vital organs, then commercial bank debt is its heart – and as you can see from looking just about every single transaction highlighted in this special issue of Marine Money - nothing functions without it.

Whether you are talking about XL Capital’s $1 billion investment grade credit wrap for CMA-CGM, Top Tankers sale/leaseback in Korea, Odfjell bonds in Norway, Quintana’s acquisition of Metrobulk or the dozens and dozens of public and private equity deals living and breathing in New York these days, the reality is that the financial returns needed to create virtually every capital structure in the global shipping industry are nourished by leverage - and that leverage comes from the bank debt market.

And so long as transaction activity is increasing in size and complexity, as it has been for years, we think that the market for bank debt will become even more vibrant. Continue Reading

Doing Business After the Credit Catharsis

Bank debt has long formed the sturdy foundation of the shipping capital markets. Exotic instruments come and go, but the ship mortgage and the syndicated bank loan remain and thrive. Typically banks fulfill their role quietly, helping clients to grow and modernize their companies without fanfare. At times, perhaps, they help a little too much. Continue Reading