Companies do not fully feel the effects of interest rate hikes until after five quarters

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5 quarters. That’s the time it will likely take for the interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve to fully impact the interest expenses of companies, according to a new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (see the study in English here). This is the reason why, after a year and a half of implementing anti-inflationary measures, only now are companies starting to experience an increase in the financial cost of their debt.

The graph shows the historical evolution of the interest rate of the American Federal Reserve (light blue line) and the non-immediate effect on the financial cost for companies (red line).

This delayed effect of restrictive monetary policies is also likely to be seen in the European realm. Since March 2022, both the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) began raising reference rates in an effort to curb inflation. Since then, the Fed has raised its rate from nearly zero to 5.25%, and the ECB has raised its main reference rate to 4.5% following the recent 0.25% increase on September 14th.

When central banks raise their interest rates, companies must pay higher rates on any variable interest debt they have, and on any debt they refinance. This leads to the need to offset this increased cost by reducing expenses and, in severe cases, by containing wages or laying off some of their employees. The rising cost of debt can also cause treasury difficulties and loan defaults.

The researchers of the mentioned study state that “regarding the current cycle, this finding suggests that most of the interest rate hikes have not yet been fully transferred to companies’ interest expenses.” They add that “it’s possible that the initial rate hike of 0.25 percentage points in March 2022 has fully impacted the interest expense ratio of companies, but they have not yet felt the full impact of the subsequent 5 percentage point hikes.” This contrasts with other parts of the economy, such as the real estate market and the banking system, where the high interest rates have already had an impact.

For companies, it is time to prepare for this rate hike which, in a deferred manner, will have an impact on their operating accounts and their treasury in the coming months. As always, Altria Corpo will be there to assist these companies in finding the best financial solution for these situations.

57% of companies will look for alternative financing in 2023, according to the Altria Corpo and IEF Barometer

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Altria Corpo and the Instituto de Estudios Financieros (IEF) have published in February 2023 the results of the third edition of the Fintech and Alternative Finance Business Barometer. This Barometer collects on an annual basis the opinions, personal experience and expectations of companies and corporate finance providers (bank and alternative) about credit granting policies, and in particular the knowledge and use of fintech and alternative finance by companies. A total of 138 companies, 39 alternative financiers and 14 banks responded this time to the questionnaire, which has already become a benchmark in the sector.

Among the most significant results of the Barometer is the perception that access to bank credit has been difficult in 2022 and will continue to be difficult in 2023. Only 18% of the companies surveyed had found access to credit easy or very easy. In the face of this difficulty, companies are moderately optimistic about the role of alternative financing to at least partially cover this shortage of bank credit.

In a context of high inflation and a possible economic recession, financial agents, both banks and alternative financiers, believe that they will further tighten their lending policies and are quite likely to raise interest rates on corporate financing.

The Barometer also polls knowledge and use of Fintech and alternative finance. In this regard, there is a growth in awareness of non-bank financing alternatives, with more than 75% of companies able to mention an alternative finance provider and 56% having used their services.

As in last year’s Barometer, as many as 57% of companies say they will be looking for non-bank sources of finance in 2023. For all these companies and those that are not yet aware of alternative financing or simply need expert advice on financing issues, Altria Corpo will be there to help them find the best solution for each business situation.

See the main results of the Barometer:

Altria achieved 56 million euros in financing for its clients in 2019

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The financial consulting firm for companies continues its upward trajectory and is positioned as the reference in obtaining bank and alternative financing for the segment of medium and large companies

The financial consultancy firm Altria Corpo, which specialises in medium and large companies, obtained 56 million euros in financing for its clients in 2019, an increase of 10% over the previous year and a new record for the firm. The loyalty of the companies that repeatedly trust Altria as their partner in obtaining financing, as well as the increase in the client base thanks to the expansion of its number of managers and consultants, have made these results possible.

Among the relevant operations that Altria has advised on are a significant number of long-term loans, for amounts between 1 and 3 million euros, to undertake new investments in companies from the most varied sectors. The financial providers that have granted this type of operation are banks, public entities and direct lending funds. As Ramiro Lama, Altria’s partner and head of financing, points out, “in this type of operation, with a high amount and where it is more difficult for companies to obtain financing, is where Altria can give greater added value to the relationship with its customers. Altria’s knowledge of the financial needs of its clients and its ability to structure these needs among the diversity of alternatives that are emerging in the Spanish and international markets, are the reason why medium-sized companies find in Altria the right partner to seek financing”.

Altria’s current team in Barcelona

For Altria, 2019 has meant a significant investment with the incorporation of new professionals, the expansion of financial providers such as national and international funds, as well as the search for operational excellence and customer service. This lays the foundation for serving larger companies and continuing to offer our clients the best financing solutions for their needs.

One of the company’s milestones in 2019 is the opening of its Madrid office, which will certainly enable the number of clients and the volume of advice to continue to grow this year. Other lines of business that are gaining in importance are strategic and financial consultancy, through which Altria helps clients to improve their financial management and the economic profitability of the business; advisory services for the purchase and sale of companies and the obtaining of capital and new partners; and the intermediation of real estate operations (residential, commercial and industrial).

Altria is a firm founded in 2014 by Albert Gumà and based in Barcelona. Its clients are medium and large companies, to whom it offers its experience in all types of debt and equity financing, and access to more than 150 financial providers including banks, alternative financing, public financing, debt funds and other instruments. In its 6 years of existence, Altria Corpo has positioned itself as a reference in the search for financing for medium and large companies, with an accumulated amount of advice of more than 240 million and more than 400 operations. The scope of the companies advised covers the entire Spanish territory, with a concentration in Catalonia, which represents 80% of the total advised.