Investment Banking

Statistical analysis and insight into activity and trends in M&A and capital markets.

Our investment bankers publish timely updates on activity and trends in the advisory and financing markets. These publications provide statistical analysis and interpretation of activity in a variety of sectors.

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In addition to the growing attractiveness of noncyclical end-markets, the influx of private capital into packaging has resulted in fewer publicly traded companies and intense competition for platform assets. William Blair has completed 12 packaging transactions year-to-date.

Beyond Meat’s headline-grabbing IPO is just one example of how plant-based alternatives are poised to grab market share and reshape the food and beverage industry.

The technological advancements that are powering the advent of fully connected, “smart” factories have also caused capabilities and business models to converge throughout the industrial technology sector. These convergence trends are shaping the strategic roadmaps and acquisition strategies of companies throughout the industrial technology sector.

Rapid advancements in cell and gene therapies are increasing demand for outsourced drug manufacturing—and opportunities for financial sponsors to invest in this high-growth segment of the broader biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals sector.

Despite mounting concerns of changing trade policy and slowing global economic growth, the leveraged finance market remained borrower-friendly in the second quarter since a lack of deal flow pressured lenders to compete for scarce opportunities.

Financial sponsors and strategic buyers from multiple industries are aggressively looking to expand their services capabilities related to massive, high-growth cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

3G's aggressive cost-cutting at Kraft Heinz appears to have backfired, showing the need for CPGs to focus on balancing efficiency and innovation—as well as acquisitions and divestitures—as they look to adapt to shifting consumer tastes.

As consumers become increasingly comfortable buying automotive parts online, companies across the aftermarket—from manufacturers to pure-play e-tailers—are positioning themselves to benefit from the growing importance of e-commerce. 

Historically, private label products have been viewed as one of the leading examples of a counter-cyclical category: during a recession, consumers would “trade down” to private label options—and then revert back to their favorite brands once the economy recovered.

In an M&A environment where robust valuations are virtually a given for high-quality companies, speed and certainty of close have become increasingly important tools that bidders can use to differentiate themselves in hypercompetitive deal processes.

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