Does Firms’ Equity Financing Benefit Debtholders? Evidence from Private Placements of Equity

We examine how private placements of equity (PPEs) affect debtholder wealth. We find that banks charge higher loan spreads, require more collateral, and impose stricter covenants for firms conducting PPEs. The results are more pronounced for firms without a value-enhancing PPE feature, particularly those with poorer governance and higher information asymmetry. These firms also invest less efficiently and underperform in the post-placement period and realize more negative bond and stock returns around PPE (post-placement M&A) announcement dates. Thus, issuers’ managerial entrenchment problems are the main source of debtholders’ loss in PPEs, and lenders use such information in adjusting lending terms.