Backstop Purchaser

What Is a Backstop Purchaser?

A backstop purchaser, likewise called a standby purchaser, is an entity that consents to buy all the excess, unsubscribed securities from a publicly traded company's rights offering, or issue.

When called upon, a backstop purchaser capabilities as a form of insurance. In exchange for a fee, they give security, guaranteeing that all of the recently issued shares will be purchased. All in all, the company behind the issue should rest assured about satisfying its raising support requirements, paying little heed to open market activity.

How a Backstop Purchaser Works

Backstop purchasers are a form of standby underwriting, where at least one investment banks go into an accord with a company and consent to publicly sell any of its unsubscribed shares at a cost generally something like the subscription price associated with the rights offering. On account of backstop or standby purchasers, the party consents to go a step further and buy the entirety of the extra, unsubscribed shares themselves.

The backstop purchase generally comes after three going before rounds of rights offering. In the primary round, the company offers existing shareholders the opportunity to purchase its stock at a discount to the market price. In the subsequent round, it will continue to offer its investors the right to buy any extra shares that remain unsubscribed. Then, at that point, in the third round, the company goes into an endorsed agreement, where at least one underwriters have agreed to purchase any shares not asked for money, remembering for the oversubscription, for resale to the public.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) sees this round as a public offering for cash provided that marketing efforts are made to a large group of possible purchasers and assuming shares are bought by a least a portion of these expected buyers. On the off chance that, after this large number of options have been exhausted, there are still no takers, a fourth-round kicks in, during which backstop purchasers are permitted to buy up to 19.9% in the aggregate of the shares of common stock prior to the rights offering.

Significant

Backstop purchasers are typically called on after other underwriting parties have failed to sell each of the shares at a discount to the public.

Rights offerings are viewed as normal business practices and are not subject to shareholder endorsement. Insured rights offerings contrast to some degree, with their extra raising money rounds attracting examination.

Backstop Purchaser Requirements

There is no [broker‐dealer](/specialist vendor) licensing requirement for backstop purchasers, however most have such a license as they are generally investment banks or [underwriting syndicates](/financier organization).

Backstop purchasers might face requirements, in any case, assuming that they are connected gatherings: directors, officers, five-percent shareholders, or any person or company affiliated with those position-holders. Would it be a good idea for one or more substantial investors consent to act as a backstop purchaser, they are not allowed to participate in activities to relieve the risk of an under‐subscription, nor charge a fee.

Furthermore, if the connected party needs to partake in different rounds of the offering, they must sit out one of the rounds. They are likewise required to buy the shares in the standby purchase based on similar conditions offered to existing shareholders in the rights offering.

Benefits and Disadvantages of a Backstop Purchaser

An issuer should seriously mull over a standby offering and backstop purchaser on the off chance that they need to raise a specific amount of capital. All things considered, while computing the number of share sales important to get the required funds, an issuer ought to factor backstop fees into the offering amount.

Backstopping can be expensive and backstop purchases are frequently paid a premium in return for the risks they take on. For example, in 2006, when Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) acted as a backstop purchaser for building materials company USG Corp. (USG), it earned a non-refundable fee of $67 million for the service.

Backstop compensation is generally a flat standby fee plus a per-share amount.

An issuer could likewise consider a standby rights offering in the event that the stock price is volatile. Since the offering period is somewhere in the range of 16 to 45 days, shareholders have a lot of chance to conclude whether they will exercise their rights and buy in view of the price of those shares trading in the market, which could be something very similar or not exactly the subscription price.

The issuer would rather not set the subscription price too low however must think about how conceivable it is that shareholders will shy away. A backstop purchaser is an attractive moderating force in this event.

Features

• In exchange for a fee, they guarantee companies that their capital requirements will be met.
• A backstop purchaser is an entity that consents to purchase all the excess, unsubscribed securities from a rights offering.
• Backstop purchasers are normally called on after other underwriting parties have failed to sell every one of the shares at a discount to the public.
• They don't come cheap and will more often than not charge a premium for the risks they take on.