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Payment in Kind (PIK): Mechanics and Rise in Prominence

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The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Private Equity
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Collateralized loan obligations; Debt capital markets; Distressed debt; Interest expense; Leveraged buyout; Leveraged finance; Payment in kind; PIK trends; Private equity

Description

Payment in Kind (“PIK”) refers to the payment of liabilities in the form of additional securities. PIK is akin to issuing new securities, most commonly debt, equal to the interest payment due and is a common feature in debt instruments used to fund leveraged buyouts (“LBOs”). This article describes types of PIK securities and various PIK mechanisms such as provisions on when and how much PIK may be used and its role in collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”). Further, this article explores the popularity of PIK, its advantages, and the challenges PIK may pose to creditors, borrowers, and equity sponsors.

Defining Payment in Kind (PIK) and its Mechanics

Payment in kind (“PIK”) refers to the payment of liabilities in the form of additional securities.

In return for capital from lenders, borrowers...

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© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Goldwater, B. (2024). Payment in Kind (PIK): Mechanics and Rise in Prominence. In: Cumming, D., Hammer, B. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Private Equity. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38738-9_136-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38738-9_136-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-38738-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-38738-9

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