Strategic Alternatives

On this episode of Strategic Alternatives, we share a rebroadcast of an iCapital Beyond 60/40 podcast episode, featuring Amy Wu Silverman, Managing Director and Equity Derivatives Strategist of RBC, in which she shares how options market trends can indicate public sentiment.

RBC Global Energy's Nick Woodruff and Tim Perry discuss key trends post-EPIC, like bullish sentiments in commodities and AI-driven demand. They delve into M&A consolidation impact, challenges faced by companies, AI integration in the energy sector, economic sentiment, regulatory scrutiny, and geopolitical risks in the Middle East oil markets.

This year has seen a pick-up in equity activity across healthcare, with a wider range of firms showing promise for value creation, and a stronger investor appetite for a pipeline of private companies that are set to go public. RBC’s John Kolz, John Hoffman, and Jason Levitz met at this year’s RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference to discuss the latest indicators from investors and corporates.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Wil Snape-Rogers, Executive Director, and Danielle Hundt, Chief Program Officer, of Play Rugby USA, join Vito Sperduto to discuss how they are using the power of sport to help young people flourish—both mentally and physically.

External forces are weighing heavily on energy markets in very different ways. While enforcement of merger competition rules puts strain on M&A deals, AI advances offer potential for both increased demand and business efficiencies. RBC Global Energy’s Nick Woodruff and Tim Perry consider the likely effects on the industry with host Vito Sperduto.

Oil and gas markets have reached a low- or no-growth business model, yet recent months have produced a surge in M&A activity not seen for a generation. Tim Perry and Nick Woodruff, of RBC’s Global Energy team, join Vito Sperduto to take the temperature of the sector and analyze the current state of energy valuations.

Exploring private capital trends in Europe, the guests discuss the interplay between private and public markets, M&A activity, and global private credit markets. They offer essential advice for capital raising in 2024 and highlight the growth of energy transition investments and tailored private capital solutions across industries.

RBC's J.T. Deignan and Neil Chawhan discuss the resurgence of insurance and BDCs in equity capital markets. They explore insurance pricing trends, IPOs, management competence, balance sheet strength, private credit influence, and the growth in IPO activities for alternative asset managers.

Jesse Chasse, MD from RBC discusses the revival of tech IPOs, analyzing the challenges faced by software and AI companies. They explore the transition from private to public profits using examples like Uber, and offer valuable advice for founders and investors on navigating the current tech investment landscape.

Looming elections are likely to be a barrier to M&A deal activity beyond September. But deal activity across non-banking areas of the sector remains robust, and attendees at RBC Capital Markets’ Financial Institutions Conference suggest a positive sentiment. Vinnie Badinehal, Head of Financial Institutions, and Jason Braunstein, Head of Financial Institutions M&A, assess the sector’s progress.