Merger By Numbers
Article :
December/January 2009
Auditing the digits behind the union of two of the biggest balance sheets in the world.
> read more
Threat Assessment 2009
Article :
December/January 2009
As one bank after another collapses, it becomes increasingly difficult to make sense of today’s turmoil, let alone figure out what the future holds. But one veteran risk manager is taking the long view on today’s troubled financial markets. And you might be pleasantly surprised to hear it’s not all bad — really.
> read more
Three Commandments
Article :
December/January 2009
Old-school values and perseverance have defined the career of Bill Rifkin, a 30-year M&A veteran. Here, he offers three keys to success.
> read more
2008 Net M&A? Approximately Zero
Article :
December 2008
We all knew that deal volume was down this year, especially in the private equity world – but the value of cancelled deals so far in 2008 is actually nearly as large as the value of deals completed. And that's not even counting the reasonably likely scenario of the BCE takeover falling through.
> read more
Next Shot In The Arm To Drive M&A Growth?
Article :
October 2008
Fed chief Ben Bernanke threw down the gauntlet and, like clockwork, all the lawmakers and officious officials hooting and hollering all the way to the floor vote on the first financial rescue package simply fell in line like good little soldiers. Even President Bush's press secretary allowed for his being “open to the idea,” like he's been sitting there waiting the whole time for someone to throw an apple at his head. Given that the alternative is more extreme financial pain for markets and consumers, it looks like they can't roll out the red carpet fast enough. But how many more bailouts and securities auctions will it take to make the system whole again? Here, the over-under on how the next shot of stimulus could be just enough to trigger a fresh wave of bank-led takeovers.
> read more
Blackstone's Brightest
Article :
October/November 2008
With private equity poised to play a pivotal role in righting a reeling economy, Jill Greenthal of the Blackstone Group sits down to discuss Wall Street's fall -- and her unlikely rise.
> read more
My Story: Gwyneth M. Ketterer
Article :
October/November 2008
Chief Operating Officer, BSMB
> read more
The Costliest Mistakes
Article :
October/November 2008
A compendium of blunders reinforces that it's better to learn from others' mistakes than to make them yourself.
> read more
36 Holes In... Martha’s Vineyard
Article :
October 2008
In this financial turmoil, why not take a breather and discover a perfect pair of spots to lay up and lie low?
> read more
EXCLUSIVE: Dealmaker’s Annual 40 Under 40
Article :
October 2008
For this year's list of 40 of the industry's best players under 40 years of age, we scoured the world to find the finest up-and-coming bankers and private-equity pros. Behold the mavens who are making a name for themselves, shaping the global economy and leading their firms through difficult times – and doing it all with a wealth of gravitas, guts and grace.
> read more
Special Delivery
Article :
September 2008
Brian McCarthy rides point for some of Skadden Arps's largest clients. His deep and shrewd financing know-how helped send FTD to United Online.
> read more
Smucker Bet
Article :
September 2008
Tapping historic ties and a throwback deal tactic, William Blair's John Ettelson helped jam together two household brands.
> read more
Martha's Vineyard
Article :
September 2008
A perfect pair of spots to lay up and lie low.
> read more
40 Under 40
Article :
September 2008
For this year's list of 40 of the industry's best players under 40 years of age, we scoured the world to find the finest up-and-coming bankers and private-equity pros. Behold the mavens who are making a name for themselves, shaping the global economy and leading their firms through difficult times -- and doing it all with a wealth of gravitas, guts and grace.
> read more
Catch Germany’s M&A Wave
Article :
September 2008
Some banks move on opportunity (or the lack thereof) faster than others. On the heels of Commerzbank AG’s €9.8 billion deal to buy Dresdner Bank AG, a multibillion-euro stake in a new bank is now on the auction block. And word has it that those interested come with some mighty big brand names.
> read more
Positively Orwellian
Article :
September 2008
Okay, so the global M&A thing is definitely not going too well. Total issuance of syndicated loans has now dropped 47% so far this year, while debt and equity issuance has fallen 35% and 36%, respectively (that final stat marking the worst sort of tanking taken since 1984). And yet U.K. equity issuance is having an absolute banner year. What’s the story?
> read more
Hostile Bids Runneth Over
Article :
July 2008
Here’s how companies that can still afford to write the really big checks (from the Netherlands to China) are getting seriously opportunistic, using their deep pockets to swallow weaker competitors.
> read more
Where The Deals Are
Article :
July 2008
Blockbuster buyouts may be rare this year, but small remains beautiful. Here’s why action in the middle market has rarely been more brisk and how some savvy players are creatively mining it.
> read more
In Banking Bedlam, US Pulls Ahead Of UK
Article :
July 2008
Fresh data just out from RW Baird shows the volume of M&A deals in the U.K. has fallen much more steeply than that of the U.S. Having firmly conceded that we would never be so petty as to call this some kind of intercontinental race, let us waste no time in immediately commencing our analysis of who is winning and why – shall we?
> read more
Inside the Deal Shop: The Coda of Bob Greenhill
Article :
July 2008
The legendary M&A heavyweight has spent the last decade attempting to imbue his firm with his encyclopedic deal know-how. It just might have worked.
> read more
Morgan Stanley M&A Withering
Article :
July 2008
Once the proud domain of rainmaker Joe Perella, Morgan Stanley’s M&A practice has dropped to SIXTH in the league tables. Though it’s been one of the toughest M&A markets in recent memory, the bank has its work cut out for it.
> read more
It’s Official: Mining Rules M&A
Article :
June 2008
Wake-up call: The rebuilding of ONE BHP Billiton smelter furnace in Western Australia is enough to push nickel prices into the stratosphere (this, just out today). And Bloomberg data show the value of announced mining takeovers more than tripled to $199 billion in the first five months of this year from 2007, despite the fact the global pace of M&A dropped 37 percent. Wanna’ hear more? Of course you do.
> read more
Where The Deals Are
Article :
June 2008
Blockbuster buyouts may be rare this year, but in our latest issue of Dealmaker magazine we discover small is still beautiful. Indeed, action in the middle market has rarely been more brisk and some savvy players are creatively mining it.
> read more
The Coda of Bob Greenhill
Article :
June/July 2008
The legendary M&A heavyweight has spent the last decade attempting to imbue his firm with his encyclopedic deal know-how. It just might have worked.
> read more
Where the Deals Are
Article :
June/July 2008
Blockbuster buyouts may be rare this year, but small remains beautiful: Action in the middle market has rarely been more brisk, and some savvy players are creatively mining it.
> read more
The Survivor
Article :
June/July 2008
Corsair chairman Nicholas B. Paumgarten overcame dyslexia -- and here offers his top tips for success in the face of adversity.
> read more
Breaking Of Dollar Peg Nigh?
Article :
May 2008
That buckling sound you’ve been hearing is not just the nauseating grind of our death-giving credit crunch, but also the dollar peg that’s straining against the overheating economies of the Middle East – which are, no doubt, beginning to wonder why they ever linked their currencies to the weak greenback. As we hardly need to point out, all these gyrations could have a huge impact on cross-border M&A. That said, the smart money is already predicting the outcome of this battle.
> read more
Tech Dealmakers: Plugged In
Article :
May 2008
Heightened activity and global expansion in the multifaceted tech dealmaking world has Wall Street jockeying for position. Here's who's leading the charge.
> read more
Three Commandments: Distance Runner
Article :
May 2008
A first-generation American reared in a tough patch of Oklahoma City, Philip Erdoes has never met anyone he couldn’t do business with — provided he’s so inclined. Here’s how he built his mini-empire from the ground up.
> read more
Deal Of A Lifetime: Healthy Returns
Article :
May 2008
How my first venture deal helped effect an industry sea change — and validate a transformative investment strategy.
> read more
My Three-Hour Vacation: Lost And Found
Article :
May 2008
Take it from someone who came for an M&A deal and stayed for two years: A man can lose himself for a lifetime in the streets of Firenze.
> read more
Overhead: The Twofer
Article :
April 2008
It’s inevitable — and perhaps imperative — that the harried deal maverick attempt to mix a bit of pleasure with his business travel. A primer on how to get this done in style.
> read more
Plugged In: Tech Dealmakers
Article :
April 2008
Heightened activity and global expansion in the multifaceted tech dealmaking world has Wall Street jockeying for position. Here's who's leading the charge.
> read more
COVER STORY: Continental Divide
Article :
April 2008
After nearly two decades of taking a back seat to the U.S., Eurobankers have definitively reclaimed their place at the head of the global M&A deal table. But will they be able to hold onto their newfound title?
> read more
Three Commandments
Article :
April/May 2008
A first-generation American reared in a tough patch of Oklahoma City, Philip Erdoes has never met anyone he couldn’t do business with — provided he’s so inclined.
> read more
Inside the Deal Shop: The Networker
Article :
April/May 2008
As the rest of Wall Street scales down, Ken Moelis aims to build the next great investment bank, one relationship at a time.
> read more
Tech Dealmakers
Article :
April/May 2008
Heightened activity and global expansion in the multifaceted tech dealmaking world has Wall Street jockeying for position. Here's who's leading the charge.
> read more
Continental Divide
Article :
April/May 2008
After nearly two decades of taking a back seat to the U.S.,
Eurobankers finally reclaim their place at the head of the global M&A deal table. Will they be able to hold onto their newfound title?
> read more
Executive Order
Article :
April/May 2008
By offering a lot of autonomy — and leaving a little bit of equity on the table — Affiliated Managers Group has found the key to successful acquisitions.
> read more
Deal of a Lifetime
Article :
April/May 2008
How my first venture deal helped effect an industry sea change — and validate a transformative investment strategy.
> read more
My Three-Hour Vacation
Article :
April/May 2008
Take it from someone who came for an M&A deal and stayed for two years: A man can lose himself for a lifetime in the streets of Firenze.
> read more
Overhead
Article :
April/May 2008
It’s inevitable — and perhaps imperative — that the harried deal maven attempt to mix a bit of pleasure with his business travel.
> read more
My Mentor
Article :
April/May 2008
At the tender age of 26, Fred Lane was having an early-life crisis. After toiling away for three years as a number-crunching CPA at Coopers & Lybrand in the mid-’70s, the energetic, ambitious Harvard MBA was ready to change gears...
> read more
LBO Fees: Another Ice Age?
Article :
April 2008
How the freeze in leveraged buyouts is whittling down fees at investment banks by more than 75 percent as Blackstone and KKR, the industry's two top titans, shelve takeover plans for a sunnier-looking rainy day
> read more
Flight Of The Buyout Heavies
Article :
April 2008
Not sure what the correct terminology is here for this, whether it be a flight, a gaggle, a ruck, a swarm, a covey, a shoal or a legion, but they are fleeing and they are fleeing fast. In the latest case in point, one prominent J.P. Morgan rainmaker, who once basked in the glow of the M&A boom, having recently found his VIP room more like a waiting room, fled to the arms of this private-equity firm – and former client.
> read more
Mortal Pain: M&A Fees Plunge 35%
Article :
March 2008
As first quarters go, this one could have been a good deal better, say the many bankers who have kindly stopped to e-mail us between transcontinental flights as they scour the world for a drop of water on the desert that is the global deal drought. What appeared to be a serious, if passing, dry spell at the beginning of the year has now ended up knocking the bejesus out of Wall Street financiers in ways they never could have imagined. Here’s to a more auspicious second half as we assess this quarter’s official damage report.
> read more
Three Commandments: Pressure Player
Article :
March 2008
Hiter Harris built a firm on the idea of seizing opportunities and coming through for clients in a crunch. Here, he offers his game plan for successful recruitment.
> read more
Microsoft Still Gooey On Yahoo
Article :
March 2008
High-ranking executives from Yahoo finally deigned to meet with Microsoft’s top brass to discuss the proposed merger that’s now become M&A’s latest elephant in the room. (This, only after Yahoo had meetings with Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit and News Corp.) As a demonstration of how this was so totally not meant to be a buyout negotiation, no bankers attended the meetings (though they did have wire taps, just in case…kidding). So what exactly took place? Here’s what we do know.
> read more
HSBC’s $3.2 Billion Decision
Article :
February 2008
That said, the fact virtually no M&A activity is afoot has done little to put the brakes on things like this “firm cash offer” received by the top U.K. bank.
> read more
Three Commandments
Article :
February/March 2008
Hiter Harris built a firm on the idea of seizing opportunities and coming through for clients in a crunch. Here, he offers the game plan for successful recruitment.
> read more
