Christina Wagner is a CFA level 2 candidate currently studying about hedge funds, private equity and commodity futures. One of her friends is fascinated by what Wagner is learning and asks several questions on the topic. In particular, she is curious to know what exit options are available to a promising young venture capital (VC) firm if it is having difficulty attracting buyers due to poor market conditions. What should be Wagner’s most appropriate response?
A) |
The VC firm should consider the acquisition of another firm and sell the merged entity once capital market conditions have improved. | |
B) |
The VC firm should be liquidated in the absence of prospective buyers through the sale of the firm’s assets. | |
C) |
Since an initial public offering is not feasible, the VC firm should be sold to another firm through a buyout or secondary market sale. | |
Liquidation occurs when a firm becomes insolvent or bankrupt, cannot function as an independent entity, and there are very few or no interested buyers. Liquidation results in low exit values. Selling the VC firm through a buyout or secondary market sale is also less feasible since these transactions require significant debt financing which the young VC firm may be unable to support.
In poor market conditions it may be feasible for the VC firm to make a strategic acquisition through a merger and sell the merged entity once market conditions have stabilized. |