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Margin ratchet meaning

What does Margin ratchet mean?
A margin ratchet is a contractual pricing mechanism in a loan agreement under which the interest margin over a benchmark rate (such as SONIA or EURIBOR) adjusts automatically as the borrower’s financial position improves or deteriorates. It is market terminology (not defined in legislation or case law) used across leveraged finance and corporate lending, typically in LMA-based facilities, and its usage is broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Key features include: - Metrics: usually linked to leverage (for example, net debt/EBITDA), tested on each reporting date and evidenced by a compliance certificate. - Structure: a pricing grid sets margin step-downs (and, in some deals, step-ups) within agreed bands, often subject to caps, floors and conditions precedent to effectiveness. - Scope: may apply to term and revolving facilities; commonly suspended during an event of default and sometimes during acquisition or “holiday” periods. - Variants: sustainability-linked ratchets adjust the margin by reference to agreed ESG KPIs. Practical significance: aligns pricing with credit risk, incentivises deleveraging, and directly affects interest cost, modelling and headroom. Negotiation points include symmetry (downward-only vs up/down), testing mechanics, holidays, and interaction with MFN and covenant packages.
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View the related Practice Notes about Margin ratchet

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

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PRACTICE NOTES
Sustainability-linked loans: UK practitioners’ guide to SLLPs, KPI/SPT calibration, margin ratchets, reporting, verification, LMA drafting, amendments, sleeping SLLs and greenwashing risks

This Practice Note sets out information on sustainability-linked loans (SLLs) and the key points to address when drafting and negotiating a sustainability-linked loan agreement. It centres on the Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles (SLLPs) issued by the Loan Market Association (LMA), the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) and the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA), as periodically updated. For an introductory overview of sustainable finance for transactional banking and finance lawyers, see Practice Note: Introductory guide to sustainable finance for banking and finance lawyers—this outlines the core concepts and challenges in sustainable finance and summarises the regulatory landscape at a high level. See Types of ESG finance—overview for materials on other ESG financing, including green loans and bonds, social loans and sustainability-linked derivatives... What is meant by a sustainability-linked loan? According to the SLLPs, sustainability-linked loans are any loan instruments and/or contingent facilities (for example, bonding lines, guarantee lines or letters of credit) whose financial and/or structural terms may change depending on whether the borrower meets predefined sustainability performance...

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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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