Private companies in Europe are facing greater pressure from bondholders to make their earnings public, according to an upcoming report by investor lobby group European Leveraged Finance Alliance (ELFA).

About half of those surveyed by ELFA said they've avoided investing in companies that request passwords, while 85 percent said they take a negative view of such debt issuers. About 38 percent of private high-yield borrowers restrict investor access to their financial data in some way, according to a separate search by Bloomberg.

Many privately owned companies keep their earnings behind password-protected websites, with some frequently changing their access codes. Others limit investor access by requiring proof of bond holdings or scrub financial data from their sites after redeeming their debt. Some companies have started requiring investors to keep information confidential with lengthy contracts akin to non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), according to ELFA's report.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical Treasury & Risk information including in-depth analysis of treasury and finance best practices, case studies with corporate innovators, informative newsletters, educational webcasts and videos, and resources from industry leaders.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and Treasury & Risk events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including PropertyCasualty360.com and Law.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.