Insights
Statistical analysis and insight into activity and trends in M&A and capital markets.
Recent Investment Banking Insights
CMMC 2.0 Set to Materially Expand Cyber and Regulatory Compliance Market
The 220,000+ companies that contract with the Department of Defense will soon face a significantly expanded regulatory framework—known as CMMC 2.0—designed to thwart increased cyber threats and secure the defense industrial base.
Read moreAviationPros Podcast: Addressing Trends and Concerns in the FBO Industry
Josh Ollek, managing director of William Blair’s Aerospace, Defense, and Government Services team, recently joined the AviationPros Podcast. Ollek discussed how high demand for private aviation—spurred by persistent delays and cancellations on commercial flights—has created a hangar shortage across the country. He also outlined electrification trends in private travel and among fixed-base operators.
Listen to the podcastUnderstanding Increasingly Popular Holdco NAV Structures
NAV financing—loans to funds supported by the net asset value of their portfolios—has become increasingly popular with financial sponsors over the past year. This article, written in partnership with global law firm Proskauer Rose, outlines how the Holdco Structure helps navigate key considerations in NAV financings.
Read moreThe Quarterly Rx: Q1 2024 U.S. Biopharma Recap
Biopharma’s rebound came into full effect in Q1 2024. In this report, William Blair's biopharma team shares its perspectives on the biopharma environment in Q1 2024 and what to expect for the remainder of the year.
Read moreMaking Sure America Gets Bang for Its Infrastructure Buck
The country’s electrical, water, telecom, and transit systems are facing years of catch-up repair and maintenance needs—and not even a massive infusion of federal dollars can address all of them.
Read moreWilliam Blair Private Capital Advisory: 2024 Secondary Market Report
The secondary market showed resilience in 2023, with overall volume increasing by 5% year-over-year despite macroeconomic challenges, and market insiders are bullish about prospects for 2024.
Read moreAviation Services Industry Update
A strong fourth quarter offered encouraging signs for business jet and general aviation’s continued recovery.
Read more4 Truths and 4 Myths About Partnering With Private Equity
Misconceptions about private equity are so common that some investors try to avoid using the term itself.
Read moreLender Competition Burns Through Winter Chill
The U.S. institutional leveraged loan market cooled in Q4 to close out a year characterized by lackluster deal flow, a persistent shift from syndicated markets to private capital, and high interest rates that took a toll on borrowers.
Read moreWaiting for the Dam to Burst in Secondaries
Much of what can be said for the overall M&A market heading into 2024 can be said for secondaries—activity still hasn’t fully recovered, there’s a lot of capital on the sidelines, and global turmoil keeps getting in the way. In this quarterly update, we look back at 2023 and forward to 2024, with close looks at GP-led secondaries and the evolution of underserved areas.
Read moreThe Quarterly Rx: 2023 U.S. Biopharma Recap
From the regional banking crisis in March to FTC and IRA legal challenges and global macroeconomic uncertainty, 2023 was another challenging year for biopharma.
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