Middle market hedge fund managers are coping with a contradiction—as the world unravels due to Covid-19, the S&P is nearing an all-time high. While the markets respond favorably to progress on a vaccine, money managers are looking to a future with a high degree of uncertainty around a possible U.S. recovery amid weak fundamentals. … READ MORE >
COVID-19 stifles middle market private equity dealmaking
With reduced dealmaking, private equity firms are left to prioritize their existing portfolio investments and must measure the continuing uncertainty created by the pandemic. … READ MORE >
The back-to-school debate and its impact on the real economy
Since the close of the 2019-2020 school year, Americans have turned their attention to plans for school reopening. Their decisions have significant impact for the broader economy, both traditional businesses and emerging concerns that find opportunity in the ‘new normal.’ … READ MORE >
Global M&A remains soft, but that could change as elections approach
Global mergers and acquisitions have had a slower start to 2020 compared to other years as companies continue to work through business challenges resulting from the coronavirus. But that could change as the November elections approach. … READ MORE >
What registered investment advisers can expect from the SEC in a changed economy
Even as the coronavirus disrupts many conventions and traditions of the financial services industry, one regulatory ritual has continued, albeit in digital form: the Securities and Exchange Commission’s compliance examinations with registered investment advisers. … READ MORE >
As private equity firms hold onto investments, investors get restless
The coronavirus hasn’t slowed interest by private equity firms in putting their cash to work in distressed firms. But as that cash stockpile has increased, threats of the coronavirus have continued to mount, creating uncertainty and leaving private equity firms in a holding pattern. … READ MORE >
The future of work: Five predictions for private equity firms
As businesses around the world consider how they return to work amid the coronavirus pandemic, private equity professionals are already making plans for widespread changes to their workforce. … READ MORE >
Global M&A nosedives, and what comes next is still in question
Global mergers and acquisitions plunged in April as companies worked through business challenges resulting from the coronavirus. As parts of the world begin to reopen their economies, questions remain on how bad the aftertaste will be for corporate deal making. … READ MORE >
As private equity firms prepare to deploy cash, a backlash looms
As many middle market businesses struggle to stay above water, private equity firms are well-positioned to provide a lifeline. But there is a looming threat to the way the industry operates, and it is coming from the political sphere. … READ MORE >
For private equity firms, valuations become a difficult question
How do private equity firms determine the fair value of their holdings when those values seem to change by the day, or even the hour, amid the economic havoc caused by the coronavirus? … READ MORE >