Business and industry will see more “shotgun weddings” as the downturn continues, an expert has warned.
Malcolm Cook, head of the West Midlands corporate finance team at PKF accountants and business advisers, said that in the current climate, many businesses and potential buyers had to be brought together in a hurry.
He said: “Decisions concerning mergers, acquisitions or divestments are generally made over medium to long time scales, in line with the development of the business’s overall strategy. However, in some instances businesses may be forced by circumstances into considering transactions in a very short timeframe – so-called shotgun weddings or, in trade talk, ‘accelerated M&A’.
“For example, a significant loss of revenue streams for a business division or subsidiary may result in it no longer being a viable proposition. Management is therefore faced with the decision of whether to close it down or to try to sell it. The former option is likely to result in little or no value realisation, making even a hurried sale a far more attractive proposition.
“By the same token, those circumstances may provide an unexpected opportunity for a potential purchaser if they are able to move quickly.”
Timing, he noted, was all important.
“There is a strong possibility that the value of the entity could depreciate rapidly following the event, as customers and suppliers become aware of the position, and key staff look for alternative employment. Therefore delays can have a serious impact.
“It is important to assess the position as quickly as possible. A key consideration at this stage is to understand what remains of the entity to be sold that will be attractive to buyers generally. You also need to get a good idea of which buyers would have the most to gain.
“There is likely to be a trade-off between the desire to auction the business properly and to complete the sale as quickly as possible.
“This presents management with some difficult decisions. However, in such situations, the strongest currency is certainty. Thus a cash buyer may be selected in preference to one that needs to raise funding, even though the offer is lower.
“Although creditors will be less than happy with the position, they may be willing to assist in supporting the transaction on the basis that they could recover significantly more of their debt than under a formal insolvency process.”
