Almost 30% of companies plan to sell their business or their assets in the next six months to a year, while only one in five will do this because of the crisis, according to a survey of 56 companies conducted by Avellum law firm.
“This shows that most large Ukrainian companies have relatively successfully withstood the economic crisis associated with COVID-19,” the study says.
Moreover, more than 60% of companies plan the sale and are ready to lower prices.
“However, in the future, sellers may increase prices for objects of sale, because today the number of potential buyers significantly exceeds the offer,” the authors of the study note.
Some 50% of the representatives of large business polled are ready to buy companies or assets. All of them noted that they expect a discount in price, since weak businesses are usually put up for sale. At the same time, more than 40% of likely buyers are interested in acquiring due to a coronavirus crisis.
“This suggests that a significant part of the companies has opportunistic sentiments and believes in the rise of the Ukrainian economy,” the authors of the study believe.
As the results of the survey showed, more than 60% of potential buyers have not changed their plans to acquire assets in Ukraine, that is, they continue to believe in the attractiveness of the market in this country and see profit in expanding their share in it. The remaining almost 40% refused to buy assets precisely because of the crisis.
The survey also showed that over 60% of companies do not see the need for advisers, since the asset is sold at a discount. This is contrary to the buyers’ expectations regarding guarantees that require the involvement of lawyers.
The survey was conducted online in June 2020 among the owners, top managers and heads of legal departments of Ukrainian and international companies.
The Business Activity Outlook Index (BAOI) calculated by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) grew by 9.6 points in June, to 45.5 points, which is lower than the neutral index reading of about 50 and means that pessimistic expectations of business prevail, the regulator said on its website on Wednesday.
“Ukrainian business is gradually recovering from the blow that the coronavirus crisis inflicted on it. The NBU poll indicates that the mood of entrepreneurs in June improved. Economic activity gradually recovered, both in Ukraine and abroad, after quarantine restrictions were eased,” the NBU said.
According to the regulator, the new wave of quarantine easing contributed to economic activity of retail companies – the diffuse index (DI) grew to 50.5 points from 37.6 in May.
The service sector also showed better expectations: DI grew by 12.3 percentage points, to 40.8.
Expectations of industrial enterprises, which DI grew from 40.4 to 49.2, also improved.
Construction enterprise expect the worsening of its activities: DI in June fell by 4.1 pp, to 36 points.
Employment assessments of all sectors retain pessimistic.
The opening of food markets is important for the economy, while the rest of businesses are planned to open after May 11, Health Minister of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov told a press briefing on Thursday.
“The opening of food markets is a very important step. The markets, which sell around 70% of agricultural products, are very important for the economy and prices for these products. We have found a way to open them and to avoid the spread of the coronavirus disease. As to the rest of businesses, we are planning to open them after May 11,” he said.
Вefore the introduction of quarantine due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Ukrainian business improved its expectations regarding the slowdown in inflation in the next 12 months to 5.1% from 7% early this year and the strengthening of the hryvnia to UAH 26.01/$1 from UAH 27.43/$1.
According to the quarterly business outlook survey conducted by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) from February 4 through March 4, 2020, business was more restrained in expecting growth in production of goods and services in Ukraine in the next 12 months. Thus, almost 30.8% (37.6% a quarter earlier) of respondents expected an increase in this indicator, another 48.7% (45.5%) believed that they would remain at the same level.
According to the survey, business activity of Ukrainian enterprises decreased to a moderate level amid a reduction in the Business Outlook Index (BOI) for the next 12 months to 110.5% from 112% a quarter earlier.
The decrease in BOI was insignificant due to high business estimates for the total sales of own-produced products, investment costs for machinery, equipment and inventory, as well as the financial and economic condition of enterprises.
According to the survey, the share of companies expecting improvement in their financial and economic condition over the next 12 months fell to 27.6% from 28% the previous quarter, while those forecasting deterioration increased to 10.8% from about 10%. The regulator said that all surveyed enterprises, except for the water supply sector, had optimistic forecasts, and the mining industry had the most optimistic forecasts.
LCF Law Group has announced the expansion of its business by adding the teams of the Evris Law Firm and the Sheverdin and Partners attorneys association and introducing new practices.
The company said in its press release that it launches such new practices as tax law, antitrust and competition law, intellectual property law, as well as criminal law and cross-border investigations.
As a result of the integration of two law firms, the company’s team will increase to more than 60 lawyers, including nine partners.
The executive team remains unchanged: Managing Partner Hanna Ohrenchuk and Senior Partner Artem Stoyanov.
The integration will be fully completed by the end of May 2020.
Nationwide legal association Revealing Information has set up the Business Support Center. The Center will provide businesses with support to fight illegal seizures, which have become a burning issue during the emergency situation and quarantine.
According to the Justice Ministry, the number of illegal seizures through making amendments to state registers has increased by 16 times during the quarantine.
Managing Partner of the Revealing Information Law Firm Oleksandr Keyer said that today both the society and businesses experience an intensive turbulence.
“The number of fraud cases is growing in Ukraine. The Justice Ministry has officially reported an increase in the number of illegal seizure attempts by dozens of times. We also can see such a trend. The situation is getting even worse due to uncertainty about the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease and its influence on business and economy. We are doing the utmost to stay one step ahead and, in particular, for this reason our company has set up the Business Support Center right now,” Keyer said.
The Business Support Center of the Revealing Information Law Firm will provide services to protect businesses by all available legal means, including security and prevention measures, represent them in court, provide them with legal support while concluding agreements during the quarantine, and so on.
Revealing Information is a nationwide legal association of broad-based experts providing services to protect the rights of victims of all types of offenses, fraud and banditry.
The association’s services include legal business support, analytical and information work, security measures to counter raiding, customer support in criminal, commercial and civil disputes, and more.
http://revealinginformation.com.ua/en/
E-mail: revealing@ukr.net
Phone: +38095 868 3590, +38067 868 3690
BUSINESS, CORONAVIRUS, COVID_19, ILLEGAL, KEYER, RAIDING, REVEALING_INFORMATION, SEIZURES
