Leveraged Buyout (LBO)

A leveraged buyout occurs when a company is acquired using a significant amount of borrowed money to cover the purchase cost. This is done so they can avoid committing large amounts of capital to an important acquisition.

There is a vast range of different types of acquirers a seller can go to when selling their business. From trade to private equity, national to international buyers, there can be a large pool of potential acquirers to approach.

One of the many options available is selling to the current management team – otherwise known as a management buyout (MBO). This is a transaction where a company’s management team purchases a majority or all of the shares from the existing shareholder(s) to take control of the company. This requires the management team to pool resources to fund the acquisition, but there are various funding options available such as private equity financiers and seller financing.

There are different reasons as to why a company might opt for an MBO rather than look to sell to an outside company – for example, it might particularly appeal to a shareholder who is looking to retire. If the company is run by its management team and the shareholder(s) are no longer involved in the day-to-day then an MBO can allow the shareholder(s) to fully retire.

While an MBO may appeal more to a shareholder looking to retire, it can be an attractive succession plan for any company. One of the reasons being is that there is no need to disclose confidential information to outside parties such as competitors. Another reason is it ensures a smooth transition as the management team has the skills and experience to take the company forward and continuity is ensured for customers, suppliers and employees.

Nevertheless, there can be pitfalls to an MBO which must be treated with caution. If both the management team and the shareholder(s) are spending a lot of time working on the MBO, then this could be detrimental to business performance and, as MBOs require a lot of specialist knowledge in structuring and financing the deal, a lot of attention is required.

However, these pitfalls can be avoided – a good corporate finance team can assist in executing a successful MBO, without compromising business performance.