Thinking Like Owners…
Posted in Pet Industry on Feb 21st, 2012
As any pet industry expert, and certainly every pet owner, knows, U.S. consumers will go to great lengths to spoil their furry, scaly and feathered friends. But have you ever stopped to consider what all that love is worth? With Valentine’s Day just behind us, sales of cards, chocolates and flowers hit one of their [...]
Posted in Capital Formation, Lower-Middle Market on Feb 17th, 2012
Leveraged loans originated prior to the economic downturn are coming due over the next several years. Lender expectations have changed drastically since these loans were originated between 2003 and 2007. Many senior banks and asset-based lenders that were hamstrung throughout the recession by the loss of liquidity are licking their wounds, which in combination with [...]
Posted in Capital Formation on Feb 10th, 2012
According to a recent survey of mezzanine debt participants conducted by KeyBanc Capital Markets, the total leverage for most transactions falls between 3.1x and 4.5x. According to the survey, more than two thirds of respondents say they limit mezzanine investments to 11 to 20 percent of their capital structure. Just under a third [...]
Posted in Economic Outlook, Government Policy on Feb 3rd, 2012
A recent article in Foreign Policy highlights four things that have the potential to wreck the economy and four things that could drive it toward success. In today’s global economy, something like the collapse of the European system could have severe implications for the U.S. and economies worldwide. On the list of things that could [...]
Posted in Government Policy on Feb 3rd, 2012
Finally, congress will be forced to play by the same rules as everyone else. On Thursday, the Senate passed the Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge Act, which prohibits lawmakers from trading stocks based on information they acquire on Capitol Hill. Passing in the Senate by a large, 96-3 margin, the bill now moves to the [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 2nd, 2012
Thanks again to those that participated in the survey and contributed to the production of meaningful results. Q4 2011 Theme – “Decisive Optimism” Based on survey results, SDR notes continued optimism amongst our clients and contacts. Just 12 months after posting our previous hiring survey, we see a jump from 75.9% to 79.0% of respondents [...]