Banks Saddled with Pier Loans

When a bank makes a bridge loan, and then can't syndicate the debt, it is known as a "pier loan"; a bridge that goes nowhere. With all the discussion of real estate debt, it is easy to forget that Wall Street is still saddled with pier loans from the LBO frenzy of 2007.

From the WSJ: New Year, Old Problem: Buyout Debt

The banks now sit on $158 billion in leveraged loans in the U.S., which are credits with a high default risk, according to Standard & Poor's Corp. That pool includes private-equity deals valued at $88.25 billion that have been funded by the banks but not fully syndicated, according to data tracker Dealogic.

The investment banks are trying to sell the debt:

The market will get another test as a group of underwriters led by Deutsche Bank AG and Bank of America Corp. begin unloading $7.25 billion in loans related to the buyout of casino operator Harrah's Entertainment Inc. by Apollo Management LP and TPG. Last week, the banks began marketing the bonds at a discount of 96.5 cents on the dollar, for a deal widely seen as one of the most desirable credits created during the 2006 buyout boom.

It will be interesting to see if this "most desirable" of buyout debt gets sold, and at what price. Imagine the haircuts for the less desirable debt. And these pier loans also contributes to the credit crunch by limiting the amount the banks can loan to other companies.