The promising M&A market in the year ahead reflects the interplay of several key factors: low interest rates, abundant capital in search of targets, larger companies seeking to grow and diversify through acquisitions, aging baby-boomer business owners ready to exit and optimism for an economic landscape improving with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
Get the Right Value – Don’t Do It Alone with One Buyer
December 13, 2022By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
Financial buyers deploy significant resources to contact private companies to purchase a company below its true market value. Before agreeing to sell, here are some important Do’s and Don’ts for sellers to consider. As a Seller: Questions You Might Ask Yourself Why would any buyer pay the high end of their value range or offer… ...
Read MoreObtaining Premium Value for Your Company
November 21, 2022By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
North American merger and acquisition (M&A) deal volumes slowed down in first quarter 2022 after a record-setting 2021. Year-over-year deal volume decreased 11.5% over first quarter 2021. Deal activity, nevertheless, was still in line with that of the last five years. With strong corporate balance sheets and record private equity (PE) dry powder ...
Read MoreExpect M&A Deal Volume in 2022 to Be at Pre-Covid Levels
October 26, 2022By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
North American merger and acquisition (M&A) deal volumes slowed down in first quarter 2022 after a record-setting 2021. Year-over-year deal volume decreased 11.5% over first quarter 2021. Deal activity, nevertheless, was still in line with that of the last five years. With strong corporate balance sheets and record private equity (PE) dry powder ...
Read MoreM&A Middle Market Update Q1 2022
June 17, 2022By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
North American merger and acquisition (M&A) deal volumes slowed down in first quarter 2022 after a record-setting 2021. Year-over-year deal volume decreased 11.5% over first quarter 2021. Deal activity, nevertheless, was still in line with that of the last five years. With strong corporate balance sheets and record private equity (PE) dry powder ...
Read More10 Ways to Position Your Business for a Successful Sale
April 11, 2022By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
Use this checklist to ensure your company is ready to go to market and positioned to realize maximum value While you may be confident in the unique advantages and future prospects of your company, most potential buyers will need to be convinced beyond a doubt. Strength testing your business before approaching buyers is critical. When… ...
Read MoreM&A Middle Market Q4 2021 Update
February 17, 2022By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
M&A Deal Activity Reached Historical Highs in 2021 North American mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deal volume hit a record high in Q4 2021 reaching over 4,400 transactions. Total 2021 deal volume of 16,718 was also a record high and a 25% increase over 2020. With easy access to capital, low interest rates, and a recovering… ...
Read MoreCheck these 5 Boxes Before Choosing an M&A Advisor to Sell Your Company
January 24, 2022By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
The 2022 outlook for deal activity is robust and sellers are expected to hold the advantage − as long as they have a skilled M&A team leading the way. By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director Engaging an effective Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) advisor to sell your company is critical to a successful outcome. Even the… ...
Read MoreM&A Lower Middle Market Q3 2021 Update
December 6, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
M&A Deal Activity Continued its Record-setting Pace in Q3 2021 North American M&A deal activity remained robust in Q3 2021 following a strong H1 in 2021 and a record-breaking fourth quarter in 2020. YoY deal volume in Q3 increased 28.6% over Q3 2020. Through the first three quarters of 2021, deal volume is on pace… ...
Read MoreM&A Deal Activity Continued to be Robust in Q2 2021
October 5, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
North American M&A deal activity remained strong in Q2 of 2021, following a strong first quarter in 2021 and a record breaking fourth quarter in 2020. YoY deal volume was 57.6% higher than the volume in Q2 2020. Through the first half of 2021, deal volume is on pace to approximate record highs. Closed M&A… ...
Read MoreM&A Deal Activity Continued its Momentum in Q1 2021
June 3, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
North American M&A deal activity remained robust in Q1 of 2021 following a record-breaking Q4 in 2020. However, year-over-year deal volume was 9.3% lower than Q1 2020. Closed M&A Deals in North America (Q2 2019 – Q1 2020) The vaccine rollout is helping to reduce uncertainty for buyers and sellers and CEO confidence levels, as… ...
Read MoreM&A Deal Activity Surged in Second Half of 2020
March 10, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
After a precipitous decline in Q2 2020, mergers and acquisitions transactions in North America rose 84% from Q2 to Q4 2020 after experiencing a 38% decline in Q2 and a 22% decline in Q3. The sharp recovery saw the total number of deals in 2020 reach 8,413, only an 11.4% decline from 2019. Q4 2020… ...
Read More7 Reasons to Use an Investment Banking Team to Sell Your Company
February 11, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
Are You the Best Person to Sell Your Business? Enhancing deal value and increasing certainty to close are what investment bankers do every day. As competition and technological advances continue to drive consolidation across many industries, it's likely you've been contacted by a variety of buyers, or their agents, interested in acquiring your company. According… ...
Read MoreBusiness Owners – Are You Prepared if a SPAC Comes Knocking?
February 10, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
If you mentioned the acronym “SPAC” a few years ago you were likely met with a blank stare. While COVID-19 led the headlines in 2020, SPACs became the hottest investment vehicle on Wall Street dominating the initial public offering (IPO) landscape and private equity has played a significant role in the SPAC boom. Private equity’s… ...
Read MorePPP Loan Guidance When There’s a Change of Control
February 10, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
Questions remain, but it’s time to move forward When it comes to merger and acquisition activity, 2020 may very well become the year of “two halves.” After a significant decrease in M&A activity as a result of the pandemic in the first half of the year, we’re now seeing a notable increase in deals. According… ...
Read MoreM&A Outlook for 2021: An Active Seller’s Market
February 1, 2021By Robert Murphy, Senior Managing Director
A Wealth of Opportunity for Owners Considering Selling Their Businesses The year ahead holds the promise of a dynamic seller’s market likely to drive a healthy mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market. Companies with strong operating performance should be highly competitive. With a flexible approach and proper planning, even those that suffered setbacks can garner buyers… ...
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