Debt swap
There are several possible ways in which a debt swap can be done. However, the aim is usually the same – to refinance a borrower and strengthen its balance sheet.
There are several possible ways in which a debt swap can be done. However, the aim is usually the same to refinance a borrower and strengthen its balance sheet.
So, for example, if a large bank such as Anglo Irish gets into financial difficulty, a deal can be done in such a way that holders of high-risk 'subordinated' bonds are offered the chance to swap them for much lower-risk, government-backed securities. For the investor, the scheme offers the chance to get out of an investment that may never pay back future coupons and/or capital.
However, under the swap, they can expect to receive a much smaller value of the safer debt in return for existing riskier holdings. The borrower gets to book the difference between those two values as an accounting gain. That in turn strengthens its balance sheet and may improve its regulatory capital ratios.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748-320-80.jpg)
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
See Tim Bennett's video tutorial: What is a balance sheet?
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
Pressure grows on Labour to remove the two-child benefit cap - here’s everything you need to know
The cap, which was introduced by the previous Conservative government, has been criticised for worsening child poverty
By Chris Newlands Published
-
Regulator moves to protect access to cash amid branch closures and disappearing ATMs
News The Financial Conduct Authority has told banks to start assessing if local communities have adequate cash access from mid-September
By Marc Shoffman Published