Definitions by abu yahya
short selling
(FINANCE) borrowing securities for immediate sale, in anticipation of a sharp decline. Short selling requires strong nerves and excellent market timing; it also requires the ability to locate tranches of securities to borrow. If the short seller is correct, then she can buy back the securities at a much lower price, and lock in very high profits with very little initial investment.
Closely related to the concept of a short position. However, a short position includes buying put options (for example), while a long position could include short selling put options. So they are not exactly the same.
If a short sellers are wrong about the market, they are left hastily covering shorts, or buying the item they borrowed at a HIGHER price than they sold it for.
Closely related to the concept of a short position. However, a short position includes buying put options (for example), while a long position could include short selling put options. So they are not exactly the same.
If a short sellers are wrong about the market, they are left hastily covering shorts, or buying the item they borrowed at a HIGHER price than they sold it for.
Jim Fisk was a master of the short squeeze; he appeared to cooperate with short selling until he was able to call in loans, forcing his counterparties to cover their shorts.
short selling by Abu Yahya September 2, 2010
Initial Public Offering
(FINANCE) when a corporation "goes public"; the first sale of stock by a corporation. All sales of stock or bonds on the stock market require the services of an underwriter, or investment bank. Outside of the USA and China, it is common for regular banks to offer underwriting for corporations.
Incorporation is a legal status that allows (but by no means requires) a firm to issue stock. Moreover, once a corporation lists stock, it does not necessarily do so on a major exchange. Some corporations areclosely held, which means they have a small number of shareholders who are mostly affiliated with management; other corporations are "private," which means they have no stock issues at all, and control/shares of profits are determined contractually.
Some corporations have issues of stock, and that stock is traded, but it is not listed. Instead, it is traded on the "pink pages." Such companies are usually in a bad way, but not necessarily.
An IPO is the first issue of stock by a corporation THAT DOESN'T ALREADY have a listed stock. If a company is "taken private" (i.e., bought out by a PE fund and de-listed) then it can have another IPO (or "sponsored IPO"). Most likely, however, if a listed company will need to raise money on the stock market, it will have a "follow-on offering."
Incorporation is a legal status that allows (but by no means requires) a firm to issue stock. Moreover, once a corporation lists stock, it does not necessarily do so on a major exchange. Some corporations areclosely held, which means they have a small number of shareholders who are mostly affiliated with management; other corporations are "private," which means they have no stock issues at all, and control/shares of profits are determined contractually.
Some corporations have issues of stock, and that stock is traded, but it is not listed. Instead, it is traded on the "pink pages." Such companies are usually in a bad way, but not necessarily.
An IPO is the first issue of stock by a corporation THAT DOESN'T ALREADY have a listed stock. If a company is "taken private" (i.e., bought out by a PE fund and de-listed) then it can have another IPO (or "sponsored IPO"). Most likely, however, if a listed company will need to raise money on the stock market, it will have a "follow-on offering."
A fantasy of many entrepreneurs is "going public" with a big initial public offering, and retiring to a beachfront mansion.
Initial Public Offering by Abu Yahya September 2, 2010
private equity fund
(FINANCE) business entity formed to pool money provided by investors in order to buy majority stakes in existing companies. A common practice is to then "take the company private," so that it no longer has shares trading on the stock market. The company is then restructured, so that it has entirely different management practices, or a different business strategy. Afterward, the PE fund will most likely re-sell the company on the stock market in a sponsored IPO.
Private equity funds are usually limited liability partnerships (LLPs), which gives them special privileges of nondisclosure; most are organized in the State of Delaware. PEF's have sponsors, or "principals," who are responsible for organizing the fund and recruiting other investors.
Among the best-known PE funds are Blackstone Group*, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR)*, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners*, Carlyle Group, Permira, Apollo Management, Providence Equity, TPG Capital, Warburg Pincus, and Cerberus. Companies marked with an asterisk (*) are publically listed corporations; most PE funds are pivately managed. The selection above includes the largest ones by capital under management.
Private equity funds are usually limited liability partnerships (LLPs), which gives them special privileges of nondisclosure; most are organized in the State of Delaware. PEF's have sponsors, or "principals," who are responsible for organizing the fund and recruiting other investors.
Among the best-known PE funds are Blackstone Group*, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR)*, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners*, Carlyle Group, Permira, Apollo Management, Providence Equity, TPG Capital, Warburg Pincus, and Cerberus. Companies marked with an asterisk (*) are publically listed corporations; most PE funds are pivately managed. The selection above includes the largest ones by capital under management.
The private equity fund first appeared in the 1970's as a result of changes to ERISA. Institutional investors, usually pension funds, could be legal partners in an LLP; they also required a place to park assets with very high rates of return.
In the USA, PE funds have long been sinecures for the most powerful political dynasties: the Rockefellers, the Romneys, the Bushes, and others.
In the USA, PE funds have long been sinecures for the most powerful political dynasties: the Rockefellers, the Romneys, the Bushes, and others.
private equity fund by Abu Yahya September 1, 2010
Carlyle Group
(FINANCE) largest private equity fund manager in the world, by assets under management ($90.5 billion-2010). The Carlyle Group is actually a group of 67 funds which are, in turn, managed by a wholly private (i.e., non-listed, non-traded) limited liability company (LLC). In order to be a partner in the Carlyle Group, one needs to (a) have an enormous amount of money to invest for a very long time, and (b) have some peculiar connection of value to the existing partners.
About 69% of fund commitments by TC Group, LLC, are for buyouts; the profits--which are immense--come when it resells its portfolio. For example, it bought and restructured United Defense Industries in 1997, cashed out by '04, and made profits of about a billion on that particular deal. It has bought many defense firms and restructured them, while using its special connections to open doors for new categories of defense contracts.
One major investor is Prince Al-Walid bin Talal, who is also the owner of the largest block of shares in News Corp outside of the Murdoch family.
About 69% of fund commitments by TC Group, LLC, are for buyouts; the profits--which are immense--come when it resells its portfolio. For example, it bought and restructured United Defense Industries in 1997, cashed out by '04, and made profits of about a billion on that particular deal. It has bought many defense firms and restructured them, while using its special connections to open doors for new categories of defense contracts.
One major investor is Prince Al-Walid bin Talal, who is also the owner of the largest block of shares in News Corp outside of the Murdoch family.
The collection of influential characters who now work, have worked, or have invested in the Carlyle Group {include}... John Major, former British Prime Minister; Fidel Ramos, former Philippines President; Park Tae Joon, former South Korean Prime Minister; Saudi Prince Al-Walid bin Talal; Colin Powell; James Baker III; Caspar Weinberger; Richard Darman, former White House Budget Director; the billionaire George Soros, and even some bin Laden family members; Karl Otto Poehl, former Bundesbank president; the late Henri Martre, who was president of Aerospatiale; and Etienne Davignon, former president of the Belgian Generale Holding Company.
{"Carlyle Empire" by Eric Leser, Le Monde, April 29, 2004}
{"Carlyle Empire" by Eric Leser, Le Monde, April 29, 2004}
Carlyle Group by Abu Yahya September 1, 2010
News Corp
(BUSINESS & MEDIA) 3rd largest media holding company in the world; US holdings include Fox News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and Dow Jones; in the UK, News of the World, *The Sun*, *The Sunday Times*, & The Times (London); and a couple dozen papers in Australia, plus Sky Broadcasting. News Corp also owns HarperCollins & 20th Century Fox.
News Corp is fairly aggressive for a holding company in actually imposing a unified strategy and brand identity on its holdings. It was created by Rupert Murdoch from News, LTD. (a firm created by Murdoch's father, Sir Keith) in 1979, a few years after he went on a media buying spree in the USA. Murdoch became a US citizen so he could legally own US TV stations. The Murdoch family owns 29% of News Corp; Saudi Prince Al-Walid bin Talal owns 7%.
News Corp launched Fox News in 1996 to compete with CNN; shortly before this, News Corp also launched the neoconservative magazine *The Weekly Standard* with William Kristol as its editor.
News Corp is fairly aggressive for a holding company in actually imposing a unified strategy and brand identity on its holdings. It was created by Rupert Murdoch from News, LTD. (a firm created by Murdoch's father, Sir Keith) in 1979, a few years after he went on a media buying spree in the USA. Murdoch became a US citizen so he could legally own US TV stations. The Murdoch family owns 29% of News Corp; Saudi Prince Al-Walid bin Talal owns 7%.
News Corp launched Fox News in 1996 to compete with CNN; shortly before this, News Corp also launched the neoconservative magazine *The Weekly Standard* with William Kristol as its editor.
News Corp is not as large as Walt Disney or Time Warner, but it has been far more successful as a business model than its larger competitors. That's mainly because Murdoch focused on finances and political strategy, whereas the other media conglomerates remain unwieldy, random agglomerations. It's like a battle between a remorseless bulldozer and a large heap of sand.
Aérospatiale
(AEROSPACE) French company created in 1970 from a massive consolidation of the French aerospace industry. Inherited and completed the French component of the Concorde SST, a supersonic jet transport. Aérospatiale was a partner in Airbus from the beginning.
Later, all of the partners in Airbus (except British Aerospace, which sold its stake in the consortium to the others) merged into a new, super-sized company called EADS. EADS is the parent company of Airbus, Eurocopter, and Arianespace.
Later, all of the partners in Airbus (except British Aerospace, which sold its stake in the consortium to the others) merged into a new, super-sized company called EADS. EADS is the parent company of Airbus, Eurocopter, and Arianespace.
Aérospatiale was one of the most technically brilliant companies of the late 20th century. It's all part of EADS now.
Aérospatiale by Abu Yahya September 1, 2010
secondary buyout
(FINANCE) when a private equity fund sells a company it has taken private to another fund. Usually financed with junk bonds.
The secondary buyout became a hot trend in the period 2005-2008, partly because other segments of the equities markets were doing so poorly. The hedge funds were willing to buy the junk bonds because they believed they had mastered the risk control; but the deals themselves were absurd.
The whole purpose of a leveraged buyout is to restructure the target company so profits from its resale can be used to pay for the deal. But if a capital management firm has already issued the junk bonds to finance a restructuring, there's little hope of another takeover artist squeezing any more profit out of restructuring. The whole point is to scam the markets.
The secondary buyout became a hot trend in the period 2005-2008, partly because other segments of the equities markets were doing so poorly. The hedge funds were willing to buy the junk bonds because they believed they had mastered the risk control; but the deals themselves were absurd.
The whole purpose of a leveraged buyout is to restructure the target company so profits from its resale can be used to pay for the deal. But if a capital management firm has already issued the junk bonds to finance a restructuring, there's little hope of another takeover artist squeezing any more profit out of restructuring. The whole point is to scam the markets.
The sudden popularity of the secondary buyout never made any sense, except as a scam. As a vehicle for peddling exotic financial derivatives, it was mildly interesting, but there was no common sense to the idea of two consecutive takeover artists doing LBO's of the same company. One of them had to be incompetent for there to be any reason for it.
secondary buyout by Abu Yahya September 1, 2010