The story behind Spacs’ spectacular fall from grace
Spacs – short for special purpose acquisition companies, emerged from the backwaters of finance to become one of the most in-demand asset classes on Wall Street during the global pandemic. They pulled in celebrities, well-known financiers, and retail investors. But as Ortenca Aliaj explains, the Spac craze turned out to be shortlived, leaving angry investors and a tough regulatory environment in its wake.
Activist investors have had a quiet year, thanks to Covid-19. Even a group of investors renowned for their aggressive tactics were reluctant to publicly attack companies reeling from the impact of a global pandemic.
Increasing pressure on healthcare systems, massive tech growth and consumer-led demand are the perfect recipe for strong M&A activity in the emerging healthtech sector.
As technology continues to reshape large industrial companies, M&A activity in this sector is on the up. It brings with it a transformation of global workforces and a shift in national identities.
With growing pressure on businesses to incorporate ESG in dealmaking, green bonds are proving increasingly attractive. What does growth in this method of sustainable finance mean for the investment market?
With indicators pointing to the peak of the current financial cycle, an economic downturn could be imminent, bringing with it an uptick in distressed M&A activity.
M&A is tough. Megadeals can be even tougher. That’s exactly what Vicki Hollub, CEO of Houston-based Occidental Petroleum, discovered with last year’s $55bn takeover of US shale oil producer Anadarko Petroleum.
Several months into this global pandemic and businesses are facing a pivotal moment. Government reinforcement from bailouts and support schemes has been quick to land, but despite this injection of liquidity, the global economy will shrink by 5.2 per cent
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FT Due Diligence is a video channel analysing the fast-moving world of M&A, illuminating the trends behind the complex global transactions and how to unlock value from acquisition deals. The channel alternates between independent reporting from FT journalists and insight on global dealmaking from law firm Baker McKenzie.