Debt – investment grade and high yield bonds, bilateral and syndicated loans, leveraged loans and mezzanine, private placements, asset finance and securitisation, acquisition finance, credit derivatives, regulatory capital, and re-structurings of existing facilities.

Following the credit crunch, accessing the debt markets has become significantly more challenging, even for experienced borrowers, as has managing lending and financing relationships more generally. In this context, STJ Advisors provides invaluable guidance to clients on the availability of debt finance, its associated costs and risk considerations, and on the optimisation of any related capital raising process.

• Investment grade and high yield bonds – STJ Advisors provides strategic, structuring and process management advice to companies (or to financial sponsors with portfolio companies) looking to raise bond finance in either the Investment Grade or High Yield Bond markets. Its advisory services focus principally on optimising the underwriter/bookrunner selection process, assisting in the structuring of the transaction and the negotiation of the detailed terms of the Notes, and on ensuring an efficient and transparent marketing process so as to ensure pricing and overall deal optimisation.
• Syndicated loans / leveraged finance – STJ Advisors uses its hands-on experience to guide clients in markets which have been subject to a combination of stress and rapid on-going change. Its advice focuses on the art of the possible and execution risk, optimising the debt products available from the market together with pricing, liquidity and distribution capacity.
• Private placements / mezzanine finance – STJ Advisors can advise on and, in some cases, source private placements of both debt and mezzanine finance in order to diversify sources of funds, maximise availability of funding and/or assist in minimising overall cost of capital. In order to achieve these objectives, STJ Advisors has the ability to access both specialist debt funds and other discrete investor pools.
• Asset finance / securitisation - For some clients, as these markets begin to recover, these sources remain a key part of the financing armoury. STJ Advisors assists in the restructuring or structuring and execution of such financings within the context of maximising the availability of finance and attractive terms.
• Acquisition finance – In challenging debt markets, the ability to assemble a financing package is often mission critical. STJ Advisors is able to help corporates, financial sponsors and management teams to structure and implement financing packages which are “state of the art” in terms of structuring and market capacity. With its breadth of expertise it is also able to make a vital link between debt and equity financing capacity.
• Credit derivatives – Although the market for using credit derivatives in securitisation has contracted sharply in the post credit-crunch environment, the risk management and investment applications of single name and index credit derivatives are alive and well. STJ Advisors’ team has specific expertise in this sector and is able to advise on any legacy issues and / or on any new applications of the products.
• Regulatory capital – As the market in hybrid capital recovers, the STJ Advisors team with specific expertise in this area is able to offer independent advice on structure, viability, issuance process and pricing.