This article by Louis Lehot originally appeared on FOLEY on September 26, 2024: The Outlook for M&A Activity in Q4 2024In a highly anticipated move, the Federal Reserve announced an interest rate cut on September 18, reducing rates by 50 basis points to a range of 4.75–5%. This is the first rate cut in four
Looking up and over the horizon — missive from AsiaThis article was written by Louis Lehot on September 17, 2024.Having just wrapped up a whirlwind tour of Seoul and Tokyo with my Foley & Lardner LLP colleagues Matthew Myungchul An, JillAllison Opell and Brian Wheeler, in this missive, I share some of my observations about what we
This article by Louis Lehot and Andre Thiollier originally appeared on FOLEY on September 5, 2024: A Rebound for Fintech InvestmentVenture Capital investment in retail fintech rebounded in Q2, according to a new report from PitchBook. Their Q2 2024 Retail Fintech Report shows deal value for this sector coming in at $4.5 billion for
This article by Louis Lehot originally appeared on FOLEY on August 16, 2024: What To Expect for the IPO Market in the Second Half of 2024The market for initial public offerings (IPOs) in the United States has exceeded expectations in the first half of 2024. According to Renaissance Capital, 69 IPOs were priced by June
This article by Louis Lehot originally appeared on FOLEY on August 16, 2024: Stay Private or Go IPO?Public investors have become more discerning about Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Instead of chasing speculative high-growth stories, they are leaning towards companies that showcase established profitability and sustainable growth. This shift is driven by ongoing economic concerns and
A Look at Q2 2024 DataThis article by Louis Lehot originally appeared on FOLEY on August 14, 2024: An M&A Rebound?We have all been waiting, some of us not very patiently, for a recovery in M&A activity, and Q2 2024 data is showing some green shoots of optimism. PitchBook has released its Global M&A Report for
As private equity (PE) firms and financial sponsors of all varieties look for ways to generate liquidity in today’s economic climate, partial exits are becoming a tool that some firms leverage to provide returns to investors. PitchBook reports on several recent examples of partial exits by firms across various sectors, noting that these are not
AI Visual Media Increasingly Draws Investor AttentionAuthor: Louis LehotAI visual media is having a moment, with PitchBook reporting that “startups are raising record sums to bring AI-generated visuals to enterprise clients.” This subset of generative AI saw VC funding surge 90% in Q1 of this year, bringing in an impressive US$402.7 million in investment, up
Authors: Louis Lehot and Natasha AllenBusiness leaders, from CEOs to CIOs to project managers, are rapidly adopting generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to transform their organizations, harnessing the technology to drive efficiency, streamline processes, and enhance operational capability.A KPMG survey revealed that nearly 65% of U.S. executives “believe generative AI will have a high or extremely
Friends,In last month’s newsletter, we looked at the dealmaking landscape so far this year by reviewing the CB Insights State of Venture Q1’24 report, which showed a “mixed bag” for VC dealmaking to start the year. We also reviewed Pitchbook’s Q1 Venture Monitor Report.This month we will review some sectors where investment is trending
