How portfolio-level debt can add financing capacity above asset-level senior facilities in multi-jurisdiction structures.
Asset-level senior debt may be efficient for individual properties but may not provide all of the capital required at sponsor or portfolio level when portfolios age and require transformation or upgrades. HoldCo financing can introduce additional debt above the asset-owning entities, supported by the value and cash flows of the broader portfolio.
In one selected mandate, LMF analysed and structured Senior Unsecured HoldCo financing for a pan-European logistics platform with approximately 300,000 sqm of assets across several European countries and an aggregate property value of approximately €150m. The properties were already financed by multiple local senior lenders, so the analysis focused on adding HoldCo capital without replacing efficient asset-level facilities.
The financing was structured through a double-LuxCo holding structure above the local property companies, creating a common portfolio-level borrower while the local senior lenders retained their existing property-level collateral packages.
A second mandate involved a different portfolio profile but a similar HoldCo sizing exercise. LMF analysed a Senior Unsecured HoldCo facility for a publicly listed real-estate investment company with a diversified multi-country portfolio and numerous existing property-level banking relationships.
The underwriting combined several portfolio-level metrics: HoldCo debt to NAV, pro-forma group LTV, cash available for debt service after property-level financing costs, debt yield, interest coverage, portfolio occupancy, lease duration and the planned asset-disposal programme. The objective was to determine how much HoldCo debt the group could support without disturbing the underlying property-level debt structure.
Although the two mandates involved different portfolio profiles, both required the same core analytical discipline: understanding the portfolio lifecycle, sponsorship credentials and robustness of value and cash-flow figures within the underwrite.
Portfolio value alone is therefore not sufficient. HoldCo underwriting requires a critical assessment of the liquidity of NAV, the Performance Improvement Programs (PIPs) and the borrower's ability to deleverage the HoldCo facility over time through excess cash flows.
LMF analyses the complete debt stack rather than treating HoldCo debt as a standalone facility. The work typically includes review of the underlying senior loans, portfolio cash-flow waterfalls, covenant headroom, asset-sale plans, refinancing assumptions and lender security before setting an appropriate facility size, attachment level and repayment structure.
Speak with LMF about capital structure, lender options, refinancing or growth financing requirements.