Avaya Holdings

Avaya Holdings Corp. is nearing a chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to restructure its balance sheet as it looks to turn around its business and move past problems surrounding the company’s accounting, people familiar with the matter said. Avaya disclosed earlier this week it has reviewed various restructuring proposals from competing creditor groups. One plan, supported by a senior lender group including Apollo Global Management , would significantly reduce Avaya’s debt load through chapter 11, wipe out…

Individual investors are backing a new underdog, Avaya Holdings Corp. , pumping up the software company’s downtrodden stock by about 200% over the past month and confounding Wall Street professionals. Avaya’s fans include day traders who congregate on Reddit and Twitter forums, and a 35-year-old software entrepreneur who has snapped up a 15% stake. They are facing off against a group of large fund managers such as Apollo Global Management Inc. and Ares Management Corp. that could benefit if the…