At the current run rate, private equity deal activity is on pace for its best year on record. With $457 billion worth of deal activity recorded over the first half of the year, according to data from PitchBook, the cumulative activity midway through the year is the strongest it has ever been in terms of ... READ MORE >
With embedded finance, Walmart takes aim at consumer financial services
The recent announcement that Walmart has hired away two executives from Goldman Sachs to run its nascent fintech division was the clearest sign yet that the retail giant intends to compete in the consumer financial sector, especially with players in the middle market. David Stark and Omer Ismail, ... READ MORE >
Private equity and venture capital stay resilient in the EU and UK
After a year of upheaval, private equity and venture capital dealmaking ended last year on a strong note in the European Union and the U.K., and that momentum is poised to continue. Consider where the industry stood at the beginning of 2020. After the Conservative Party’s decisive victory in late ... READ MORE >
How SPACs and direct listings are reshaping the capital markets
The volume and dollar value of public listings went on a tear last year as private companies took advantage of a bullish stock market to raise cash at attractive valuations. Activity in January indicates that this momentum has carried over into the new year with three methods of going public -- special ... READ MORE >
Private equity firms pledge their support for Diversity in Action initiative
As investors demand greater accountability on diversity and inclusion efforts in the asset management industry, private equity firms are under pressure to change. Women in the alternative assets sector, for example, held only 11.9% of senior roles, according to a Preqin study released in ... READ MORE >
Is cash no longer king?
Living in London for the past three years, I fully embraced the cashless culture. Paying for meals at an outdoor market, for drinks at the pub or to ride the tube was a fast, secure and seamless process using my phone. While working abroad with businesses of all sizes and in various industries, I also got ... READ MORE >
401(k) plans can now offer investments in private equity, but should they?
It wasn’t too long ago that investing a 401(k) plan seemed simple enough: Choose a mutual fund – stocks, bonds or maybe a target date fund – and keep working until you retire. Private equity funds seemed a world away, the domain of high net-worth investors with the sophistication to understand the risk ... 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. Through April and the first part of May, the total value of announced deals was $207 billion, according to Bloomberg, beginning what is expected to be a year over year decline ... READ MORE >