Capital Calls Are Tough for Institutions and General Partners Alike
According to PE Week Wire (January 15, 2009), the Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System ("LACERS") has rescinded its authorization to invest in Cityfront Capital Partners, L.P. ("Cityfront") since said fund has yet to raise a "minimum of $50 million in committed capital, which was to include LACERS' commitment." Part of this California pension fund's allocation to "Specialized, Non-Traditional Alternative Investment Programs," an agreement was reached on August 14, 2007 to invest $5 million in this "small and middle market buyout fund of funds investment vehicle." According to a January 13, 2009 "Report to Board of Administration," LACERS' Chief Investment Officer explains that the buyout fund has "only been able to raise $7 million in 'hard commitments' with no near-term expectations of achieving the $50 million minimum level."
Cityfront is not alone in feeling the pinch. According to "VCs Feeling the Pain of Newly Poor LPs" (January 16, 2009), PEHUB writer Connie Loizos writes that some institutional investor limited partners are strapped for cash, having lost money in the market of late. For those for which the problems are dire, they are simply failing to meet a capital call(s) when the venture capital or private equity fund comes calling for more money.
On January 17, 2009, Wall Street Journal reporter Pui-Wing Tam wrote that, not surprisingly, venture capital investment has "dropped 30% in the fourth quarter to its lowest level since 2005." Traditional exit strategies such as issuing equity via an IPO (initial public offering) or being merged or acquired are currently seen as unlikely options for many VC-backed companies. See "Venture Funding Falls 30%." (A subscription may be required to read this article.) A few weeks earlier, fellow Wall Street Journal reporter Craig Karmin wrote that pension funds are rethinking how much money should remain in private equity, hedge funds "and other nontraditional investments." Karmin describes a capital call "crunch" with private equity funds demanding cash but pension funds expecting to "offset the payments with returns from other private-equity investments." Elusive gains create a double whammy for both limited and general partners alike. See "Once Burned, Twice Shy: Pension Funds" (January 3, 2009).
Business Week Executive Editor John Byrne and writer Steve Hamm tackle the topic of increasing risk aversion on the part of venture capitalists in a December 30, 2008 video entitled "Is Silicon Valley Losing Its Magic?" Citing Andy Grove, author of Only the Paranoid Survive, Hamm avers that the ability for young companies to innovate is being curtailed as venture capitalists and private equity bankers scale back. Institutional investors that do not make capital calls and/or step up to the plate to allocate fresh monies may prevent venture capital and private equity funds from generating robust returns. On the other hand, institutions which are not enjoying attractive, risk-adjusted returns from venture capital and private equity funds could be reluctant to make capital calls.
It is a veritable catch-22.
Editor's Note:
- Click to read the August 14, 2007 LACERS' authorization memo.
- Click to read the January 13, 2009 LACERS' recission recommendation memo.
