Bear Stearns’ Schwartz: “No Liquidity Crisis”

/in , /by

CEO Alan Schwartz was briefly interviewed by CNBC’s award-winning journalist David Faber on Tuesday March 14th, and asserted that there “was no liquidity crisis” at Bear. Five days later, Bear Stearns’ management agreed to be acquired for $2/share by J.P. Morgan Chase, as an alternative to bankruptcy, as other money center banks had lost confidence in Bear Stearns solvency, in the face of recent mortgage bond related losses, and its high leverage. On 3/19, the “Wall Street Journal” said that Mr. Schwartz failed to share with CNBC viewers how the leadership team “had weathered past financial crises” and his “delivery made some experts wince.”

RJR Nabisco still among top 10 LBO’s

/in , , /by

There has been extensive media coverage on the resurgence of leveraged buyouts (LBO’s), including a recent cover story, “The Buyout Binge” in the April issue of “CFO Magazine.” Nine of the top ten LBO’s were recent, and then there was the 1988 acquisition of RJR Nabisco by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. I showed a segment of the movie “Barbarians at the Gate” to my NYU finance class, and also highly recommend the book. The RJR Nabisco deal highlights the importance that understanding business fundamentals plays in any business deal. Henry Kravis knew he needed a better understanding of RJR Nabisco’s core operations so he could price his bid accurately and compete with the insider buyout bid by CEO Ross Johnson. This made Kravis dependent on RJR Nabisco executives such as John Greeniaus, CEO of Nabisco, for their cooperation. Despite Ross Johnson’s entreaty, “Johnny, I’m going to make you rich!” Greeniaus eventually did share valuable insights with the KKR team. Hopefully dealmakers are not losing sight of business fundamentals in today’s overheated LBO market. The year after the RJR Nabisco deal the market dropped 200 points (a lot in 1989) due to the failure of Robert Campeau’s US retail operations, and the unraveling of a $6.8 billion buyout of United Airlines. Nobody wants to see a similar market meltdown resulting from the most recent crop of LBO’s.

Weed Control Business Owner Picky About Investors

/in , /by

Pam Marrone has attracted $570,000 for Marrone Organic Innovations from angel investors she feels she knows well. Her selectiveness is based on her prior experience at AgraQuest, a pest-control start-up funded with $50 million from venture capitalists and other investors. At AgraQuest, Marrone had a falling out with her investors over business strategy, and subsequently left the company. At Marrone Organic Innovations, a weed control business, “I’m starting up again really determined to find investors that do share our values,” says Marrone. “I’ve learned that you don’t accept just anybody’s money.”

More Biz Owners Selling Businesses Themselves

/in , , , /by

The percentage of listings at BusinessesforSale.com posted by owners has doubled to about 10% over the last five years, CEO Marcus Markou told BusinessWeek SmallBiz, according to an article in the Fall 2006 issue. Robert Fliegel, owner of Discovery Treks posted a listing for his business in January and sold it to an Arizona couple for $265,000 by July, saving a 10-20% broker commission. “People who try to sell on their own end up wasting a lot of time with unqualified prospects who have no intention of buying,” cautions business broker Karl Grasemann. Other online exchanges include BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com.

Venture Capitalists Investing in Later Stage Businesses

/in , , /by

Venture capitalists are increasingly looking for established companies to invest in, the “New York Times” reported. For the first half of 2006, 46 percent of first-time venture investments went into established companies – three years or older, and with established revenue streams – up from 30 percent in 1995, according to the National Venture Capital Association. Reasons for the trend include a sluggish market for initial public offerings, and the ability of cash-laden venture capitalists to put more money to work in larger, more established firms.

Last October I helped an entrepreneur finish his business plan over a two week period, for a new medical device that had vastly better technology and ergonomics than what was currently in the market. He was looking for $2 million to stage the introduction. I just got a call from him, this past June, that he was close to securing financing….nine months later. If the trend of venture capitalists looking for more established companies continues, situations such as this will become even more common in the years to come. — dr