William Blair Thinking

Our library of white papers, market updates, podcasts, and other resources is designed to provide you with actionable intelligence for emerging opportunities.

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Our Latest Insights

Monday, March 10, 2025

Building on Strength: Fresh Perspectives on Emerging Markets

We believe emerging markets present a landscape of opportunity for equity investors despite macroeconomic headwinds.
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Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Aviation Services Industry Update

U.S. general aviation and business jet activity finished 2024 on a strong note—and global airline industry revenues are projected to exceed $1 trillion for the first time in 2025.
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Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Navigating the AI Boom: Understanding the Economic Impact of Artificial Intelligence

From increased productivity to software development to content creation, GenAI is ushering in a new era of rapid advancement. In our first installment of confronting GenAI's most pressing questions, we explore the economic impact of AI and where the most untapped opportunities are for investors.
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Monday, March 3, 2025

Monthly Macro with Richard de Chazal—February 2025

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal reflects on February’s economic narratives, including the impact of noisy data, government spending cuts, climate change, mass deportations, recent inflation data, and the evolving nature of inflation on future monetary policy decisions.
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Monday, January 26, 2026

Qualified Charitable Distributions from an IRA

IRA owners who are age 70½ or older and charitably inclined may consider making Qualified Charitable Distributions from their IRAs as a tax efficient way to fund charitable goals.
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Thursday, February 27, 2025

Seeking to Optimize Risk-Adjusted Return Potential With Frontier Markets Debt

We believe the time may be right for an allocation to frontier markets debt through a dedicated strategy.
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Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Corporate Giving: Key Trends and Insights

Several key trends are shaping the landscape of corporate giving, providing insights for nonprofit organizations to leverage when cultivating partnerships and opportunities to engage with employees and activate corporate philanthropy.
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Monday, February 24, 2025

As GP-Led Secondaries Grow, So Has Related Use of Reps and Warranties Insurance

With GP-led secondaries setting records in 2024—and trendlines looking promising for 2025—secondary investors have increasingly turned to M&A-style insurance policies to facilitate their transactions.
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Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Accounting Insights: Navigating Growth and Technology Trends

In this episode of William Blair Thinking Presents, global services analyst Andrew Nicholas, CPA, discusses findings from his team’s extensive inaugural survey of accounting services executives, covering industry dynamics such as organic revenue growth, technology use, and M&A trends.
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Thursday, February 13, 2025

Exploring Energy Economics With Dr. Carey W. King

Dr. Carey W. King from the University of Texas at Austin delves into the intricate relationship between energy systems, the economy, and the environment, exploring his innovative HARMONEY Model and discussing the critical role of energy in shaping macroeconomic policies and future sustainability.
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Thursday, February 6, 2025

2024 Record Totals for Secondaries Point to Positive 2025 Momentum

Bullish predictions for the secondary market throughout 2024 proved accurate as volume hit record levels by yearend. Now, in 2025’s early weeks, market insiders remain optimistic—with expectations for continued LP- and GP-led growth.
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Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Opportunities in Aerospace and Defense Applications

Jesse Fink, CFA, a research analyst on our U.S. value equity team, tours a facility involved in the research and development of 3D woven composite technologies for aerospace and defense applications.
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