Clients pull money from hedge fund that helped kill Toys ‘R’ Us

Toys ‘R’ Us filed for bankruptcy in September 2017, undone by a hefty debt load and the rapid shift to online shopping

Solus Alternative Asset Management, a New York hedge fund best known for its role in the bankruptcy of Toys “R” Us, is under pressure from investors unhappy with its performance.

In a sign of discontent, some investors have asked to retrieve their money before the end of their agreed-upon terms as Solus appears on track to deliver its second consecutive year of losses, people familiar with the matter said.

So far, clients have asked to pull at least $100m, some of the people said, a relatively small amount of money for the firm, which manages about $4bn. However, the clients’ requests add strain to Solus’ assets, which have shrunk by about one-third since last year.

Solus was a lender to Toys “R” Us ahead of its bankruptcy filing. Under the company’s complex capital structure, the hedge fund and four other debtholders essentially had the power to stop the clock on its reorganisation under chapter 11.

Toys “R” Us decided its only option was to liquidate, the Journal reported. Solus has said that it wasn’t responsible for the iconic toy store’s demise.

Assets at Solus have dropped steeply, by $1.7bn, from about $6bn last year, said one of the people familiar with the matter. The drop is related to performance losses, client redemptions and the firm returning capital on previous investments, the person said.

The firm’s flagship fund has lost about 7% this year through the end of November, some of the people said, while the S&P 500 has rallied 27.9%, including dividends. Last year, the fund lost about 15%, according to data collected by HSBC. That compares with a 4.4% loss for the S&P 500.

The hedge fund recently stopped reporting its data to HSBC.

The firm made gains of 7% in 2017, the same year Toys “R” Us was forced into bankruptcy. The S&P 500 gained 21.8% that year.

Now, with markets near all-time highs, funds that focus on distressed debt have a relatively slim set of investment opportunities, and some of their wagers haven’t played out as expected.

Solus’ bets on companies such as Kentucky-based Blackhawk Mining have put a drag on performance, one of the people familiar said.

A Solus spokeswoman said the fund has no plans to shut.

Source: Financial News

Can’t stop reading? Read more