Distress & Recovery · 💸 Distressed Debt Buyer

A distress signal published. The receivables attached to this company may be acquirable.

Distressed debt portfolios rarely come to formal auction. They move in bilateral deals between creditors and buyers who were already in conversation. The window between a SHAB distress filing and a closed deal can be under two weeks — and most buyers only hear about it after the deal is done. The buyers who win are the ones who reach the bank the same morning the filing appears.

The timing advantage

Be the first to know. Be the first to call.

For distressed debt buyers, the deal happens before the process. Banks and creditors managing exposure to a distressed company are motivated sellers — but only briefly, and only to counterparties they already trust or who reach them first with a concrete proposal. Once another fund has made contact, the bilateral conversation begins and you are effectively locked out.

The SHAB filing is the earliest public signal

A distress or nachlassstundung filing in the SHAB precedes any formal sale process by weeks. At this moment, the creditor has not yet decided whether to sell, hold, or pursue enforcement. Reaching them before that decision hardens is the only way to shape it — and to avoid competing against three other funds in a structured auction.

Banks prefer bilateral exits over formal process

Swiss banks managing NPL exposure have strong incentives to close quietly. A formal portfolio sale triggers regulatory scrutiny, provisioning discussions, and internal approval layers. A bilateral deal with a known counterparty — completed in under two weeks — avoids all of that. But it only happens if you're already in the room when they decide to move.

The liquidation event closes the window permanently

Once a company enters formal liquidation, the debt portfolio becomes subject to insolvency proceedings. The administrator takes control, enforcement timelines extend significantly, and the creditor's motivation to sell at a discount disappears. The entire acquisition opportunity exists in the narrow window between distress signal and liquidation order.

Your signals

Which SHAB events matter for Distressed Debt Buyer

Two SHAB event types directly indicate that receivables attached to a company may be available for acquisition. Each creates a different urgency and requires a different approach to the creditor conversation.

⚠️ Distress Signal

HIGH SIGNAL

A nachlassstundung, debt moratorium, or judicial composition filing signals that a company is in active financial difficulty but has not yet entered formal liquidation. This is the primary acquisition window. Banks and trade creditors with exposure are weighing their options — a bilateral offer from a credible buyer lands at exactly the right moment. The company may yet survive restructured, which changes the receivable's character entirely if you wait.

🏚️ Liquidation

HIGH SIGNAL

A liquidation filing confirms the company will not continue. While the acquisition window is narrower here, creditors who moved slowly through the distress phase may still hold unsecured receivables they are willing to sell to avoid participating in lengthy insolvency proceedings. Speed matters: the administrator will classify claims shortly after appointment, and discounted bilateral sales become harder to execute once that process formalises.

Why the window closes

Day 1 vs Day 30 — the difference is the deal

Day 1

Day 1 — You call today

The creditor has not yet decided whether to sell or enforce. Your call shapes that decision rather than responding to one already made.
No auction has been organised. You negotiate directly, set your own price discovery terms, and avoid the markup that formal processes add.
You arrive with a specific filing reference and a concrete offer structure. The banker you call knows you've done your homework — and takes the meeting.
A bilateral close in under two weeks is achievable. The bank avoids regulatory escalation; you avoid competition. Both sides benefit from speed.

Day 30

Day 30 — You call next month

A competitor fund reached the bank in week one. The bilateral deal is already closed. The portfolio is off the market entirely.
If the distress has progressed to formal liquidation, the administrator now controls the claims. Bilateral acquisition is no longer possible.
The bank has already provisioned the exposure and moved on. The motivation to sell at a discount — which existed briefly — is gone.
You are now learning about a deal from a tombstone announcement rather than from the filing that created the opportunity.

Reach out with reason

Not "I help companies like yours." A specific reason to call.

SHAB events give you a real, specific, verifiable reason to reach out. That changes the conversation from cold outreach to warm intelligence — you're not prospecting, you're responding to a filing that just appeared this morning.

❌ Generic cold outreach

Subject: Distressed debt acquisition — are you managing exposure?

Hi,

We acquire distressed debt and receivables portfolios for Swiss and European entities. If you have exposure you're looking to manage, I'd welcome a discussion.

Best regards

✅ SHAB-triggered with AI angle

Subject: Vantage Holdings distress signal — bank exposure?

A distress filing for Vantage Holdings appeared in the SHAB this morning. If your institution has receivables exposure, we can move quickly on a bilateral purchase — no formal auction, no lengthy process. We've closed deals in under two weeks in similar situations. Is this worth a call today?

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