Strategic Alternatives

Vinnie Badinehal and Jason Braunstein discuss the outlook for financial sector M&A in 2024, focusing on challenges like interest rates and regulators' responses. They also explore the resilience of the finance sector amidst economic challenges and the strategic role of M&A in achieving market advantage.

Consolidation may be the theme of 2024 for retail’s most fragmented sectors. But how will the regulatory atmosphere, the U.S. election and geopolitical tensions affect potential deals? Douglas Trauber, Global Head of Consumer and Retail, and Hugh Paisley, Co-Head, U.S. Consumer and Retail Investing, join to identify high-activity sectors and assess the external challenges retailers face.

Exploring the impact of consumer behavior, inflation, interest rates on retailers. How major corporations are enhancing customer experiences with technology. Challenges faced by retailers to stay competitive amidst widening gap. Analyzing market trends and CEO insights for strategic decision-making.

Exploring the return of traditional financing in private equity M&A, potential sectors leading deal activity, exit strategies maximizing sale proceeds, the role of private credit in financing, sector opportunities in the private equity market, and anticipation of increased transaction volume and market optimism for 2024.

Exploring the factors impacting private equity M&A environment and expectations for 2024. Insights on global M&A trends, challenges in US M&A market, take-private volume increases. Impact of limited sponsor bid presence, exit strategies, interest rate impacts on leverage buyouts. Discussing market recovery, asset valuation, and strategic timing for M&A activities.

Exploring the rebound of equity markets in 2024, with a focus on market trends, optimistic outlook for global IPOs, convertible market analysis, Australia's sector trends, and European business refocusing.

Discussion on M&A trends in 2024, including interest rate environment, revised expectations, and early buyers. Exploring shift in sellers' expectations, consolidation in the tech industry, IPO market state, antitrust challenges, and consolidation in the Canadian energy sector.

As the U.S. economy shows positive signs for growth, inflation, and interest rates in 2024, RBC Capital Markets’ RBC Capital Markets’ Michael Reid, Blake Gwinn, Vito Sperduto and Larry Grafstein analyze the challenges posed by consumer spending, political gridlock, and quantitative tightening.

Growth is poor, labor is a concern, but inflation seems to have been punctured. Nathan Janzen, Assistant Chief Economist, Canada, examines what the economic signs herald for Canada’s future in 2024. 

There are widespread expectations that UK and EU inflation will hit target levels in 2024 – yet many obstacles remain. Peter Schaffrik, Chief European Macro Strategist and Cathal Kennedy, UK Senior Economist analyze the inflationary outlook, prospects for European growth, and how the effects of interest rate rises are still playing out across the continent