As the Federal Reserve maintains historically low interest rates, private equity firms in the middle market have an opportunity to make more affordable capital investments that will pay off in the future. It's the result of the unusual current environment on interest rates, with the yield on 10-year Treasury securities hovering around negative ... READ MORE >
Financial Services
Comprising everything from private equity firms to family offices, financiers are active participants in the middle market. They provide the vital capital infusions needed to take growth companies to the next level.
CHART OF THE DAY: ESG comes to financial services
As more and more companies adhere to environmental, social and governance practices, or ESG, financial services firms have started to fall under scrutiny for their practices. It marks a shift from the early days of ESG, when much of the attention was focused on industrial companies and environmental concerns. Since March of last year, the number of public ... 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 2019 and the promise of a deal on Brexit, private ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: How stablecoins are helping lay the groundwork for digital currencies
For much of the short history of digital assets like bitcoin, their buyers have used them mostly as a store of value -- like gold. Their price volatility is one reason that they have not gained greater acceptance as a means of exchange, like a traditional currency. But there are signs that is about to change with the rise of stablecoins -- or digital ... 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 purpose acquisition companies, direct listings and ... READ MORE >
Comptroller of the Currency puts the fair access rule on hold
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has put a hold on its recently issued fair access rule, the agency announced. The rule, which would have barred banks from denying loans to businesses on political or ideological grounds, passed two weeks ago under acting Comptroller Brian Brooks, but was widely criticized across the banking ... READ MORE >
How regulatory oversight may change at five agencies under Biden
With President Biden’s cabinet taking shape, regulated entities in the financial services industry like banks, specialty lenders and capital markets firms are starting to get a better picture of what changes might be in store. For these firms, the question is no longer if regulations will change, but how much they will change. With control in the ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Institutional investors warm to digital assets
Bloomberg’s Galaxy Crypto Index, which includes Bitcoin, Ethereum and three other digital assets, has rallied from a 52-week low of 177 last March to a high of 1,650 in January — its highest point since January 2018. The index measures the performance of the largest cryptocurrencies traded in U.S. dollars. Cryptocurrencies, and their underlying blockchain ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: The SPAC boom accelerates
Activity among special purpose acquisition companies has continued so far this year at its breakneck pace of 2020. With January more than half over, announced listings for SPACs have already surpassed the combined total for the first five months of last year. At this pace, January will match or possibly exceed the record-setting month of last September, ... READ MORE >
5 trends from defense technology companies’ Q3 earnings calls
Defense technology businesses spent Q3 2020 shoring up their supply chains in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These businesses simultaneously navigated the start of pandemic recovery, shifting election expectations and a continuing resolution. Top executives in the defense technology space highlighted opportunities, headwinds, and strategic ... READ MORE >