Financing Solutions: What is a Merchant Banking Operation?

In today's diverse and unpredictable economy, the need for a sustained profit plan and long term growth strategy has become essential for both individuals and corporations. Merchant banking principally involves providing financial services and advice for individuals and corporations. Merchant banking operations consists of providing clients with a variety of financing options to sustain long term growth.

Merchant banks tend to have operations in a variety of countries throughout the world allowing them to offer an extensive network distribution to help their clients explore opportunities with alternative finance options.

In banking, a merchant bank is a financial institution that primarily invests its own capital in a client's company. Merchant banks provide fee based corporate advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, as well as other financial services. Merchant banking operations focus on commercial international finance, stock underwriting, and long-term company loans. These banks work with financial institutions with their primary function being stock underwriting. They also work in the area of private equity where the securities of a company are not available for public trading.

The most common private equity investment strategies include venture capital, leveraged buyouts, distressed investments, growth capital, and mezzanine capital. Leveraged buyout generally means that they acquire majority control over existing or mature corporations. Growth capital and venture gains means they invest in newer or rising corporations without acquiring majority control.

Today, merchant banks are involved in a number of tasks such as credit syndication, portfolio management, mergers and acquisitions counseling, and acceptance of credit, etc. Their investments include private equity, structured equity, and bridge debt. They generally invest in private or public companies to finance growth, acquisitions, and management/leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations. In some cases, they provide an invested company with short-term financing for a particular project, or provide short-term liquidity.

Merchant Banking operations can focus on a particular country or they can expand their operations in other countries. They can assist sustainable companies undergoing a financial restructuring requiring short-term liquidity. These banks provide their partners with financial analysis, capital structuring and strong industry relationships. They provide the corporate lending, leveraged finance, and investment banking and industry expertise. Merchant Banking operations provide all types of domestic and foreign banking transactions, corporate finance services, product knowledge, and management services.

Global merchant banking operations provide individual and corporate investors with the opportunity to participate globally for access to international investment opportunities, providing global companies access to a particular market, and opportunities for co-investment.

When searching to partner with a Merchant Banking Service Company in order to enhance your business operations, you should find a well established, full-service merchant financial services company. You want a large, credible firm that can demonstrate a good track record. Ask the merchant banks how long they have been in business and who some of their customers are, particularly from your market, so they can demonstrate their experience and understanding of your needs.

Merchant banking operations provide the support, knowledge, and resources to effectively assist clients and corporations with improving, expanding, and sustaining their business and business investments.