Home > Glossary > Leveraged recapitalization

Leveraged Recapitalization

Leveraged recapitalization is a financial strategy in which a company restructures its capital by issuing significant debt to repurchase equity or distribute dividends to shareholders. This strategy increases the company’s debt load, often to return capital to shareholders or defend against a hostile takeover. While it can provide immediate cash returns to investors, leveraged recapitalization increases the company’s financial risk by adding more debt to its balance sheet.

Example

A company facing a hostile takeover issues debt to buy back its own shares, reducing the number of shares available on the market and increasing its leverage as part of a recapitalization strategy.

Key points

• A strategy where a company issues debt to repurchase equity or distribute dividends to shareholders.

• Increases the company’s leverage, adding financial risk.

• Often used to return capital to shareholders or defend against hostile takeovers.

Quick Answers to Curious Questions

It is used to restructure a company’s capital by issuing debt to repurchase equity or return cash to shareholders, often as a defense against takeovers.

It increases financial risk by adding more debt to the company’s balance sheet, which may strain cash flow and repayment capacity.

Companies may use it to return capital to shareholders, enhance financial flexibility, or fend off hostile takeover attempts.