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Hard cap baskets meaning

What does Hard cap baskets mean?
In finance documents, a hard cap basket is a covenant basket with a fixed ceiling that cannot grow automatically over time. It is most often used in negative covenants in loan agreements and high-yield bond indentures (for example, restricted payments, debt incurrence, liens and investments). The cap is set as a stated monetary amount (or occasionally a fixed percentage) and is not sized by, nor does it increase with, financial metrics such as EBITDA, total assets or leverage. This is market terminology rather than a concept defined by legislation or case law, and its usage is broadly consistent across England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Key features and practice points: - Provides certainty for lenders and noteholders by fixing headroom and limiting value leakage. - May sit alongside ratio-based or builder/grower capacity, but the hard cap element remains static. - Can be subject to reclassification mechanics or shared across multiple permissions, yet the stated cap does not expand. - Currency provisions may specify a sterling/euro/US dollar equivalent to manage exchange fluctuations, without altering the cap. Hard cap baskets are contrasted with soft cap baskets, which allow capacity to increase (for example, with grower or ratio-based mechanics).
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View the related Practice Notes about Hard cap baskets

PRACTICE NOTES
Acquisition and Leveraged Finance: Practitioner’s A–Z of Terms, Covenants, Structures and Jargon

This glossary sets out many of the expressions commonly used in the leveraged finance market. Words appearing in the definitions in bold are defined elsewhere in this glossary. For further banking terminology, please refer to the main Banking & Finance Glossary... Acquisition finance glossary—A Acceleration Acceleration is the formal action taken by the agent, on the instructions of the majority lenders, following an event of default, such as making a demand for early repayment of the loan. See Practice Note: Accelerating a loan for more information... Accordion feature/accordion facility An accordion, also called an incremental debt feature, is a mechanism in the facilities agreement that, provided specified conditions are satisfied (for example, pro forma compliance with a leverage test), permits those lenders under the facilities agreement who wish to do so to advance additional debt. The terms for that extra debt are typically captured in an increase notice. This accordion or incremental debt flexibility is different from structural adjustment, which usually requires the majority consent...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK Banking, Finance, Capital Markets, Derivatives and Insolvency Law Glossary including Islamic finance

Banking & Finance glossary A Auditing and Accounting Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) The foremost Islamic, international, autonomous, independent, not-for-profit corporate body that develops and issues accounting, auditing, governance, ethics and Shari’ah benchmarks and standards for Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) and the wider Islamic finance sector. Founded in Bahrain in 1991, it is backed by a number of institutional members across more than 45 countries, including central banks and regulatory authorities, financial institutions, accounting and auditing practices, and legal firms. Its pronouncements are currently applied by leading Islamic financial institutions across the world and have advanced a progressive and gradual harmonisation of global Islamic finance practice. It also delivers professional qualification programmes—notably Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA), Certified Shari’ah Adviser and Auditor (CSAA), and the corporate compliance programme—in efforts to strengthen the industry’s human capital and governance frameworks. For further details, see Practice Note: Key participants in the Islamic finance industry—Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). Acceleration Acceleration is the formal action...

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