Dealcast: The M&A Podcast

The Federal Reserve’s bumper half-point rate cut in September has opened an unexpected pre-election window for sponsors seeking to list portfolio companies in an IPO.

Sponsors Carlyle Group [NASDAQ: CG] and Partners Group [SWX: PGHN] saw a window following the Fed cut and ran through it without a second thought to the next occupant of the White House, ahead of a 50/50 Presidential election on 5 November.

Mergermarket's North American equity capital markets (ECM) senior reporter Cristiano Dalla Bona joins Dealcast host Julie-Anna Needham to discuss why the sponsors were able to shake off the political risks.

• Will Platinum Equity follow Carlyle Group and Partners Group’s example with an IPO for Ingram Micro?
• What was the mood in the US ECM like before the Fed rate cut?
• How will the IPO market react to different outlooks in 2025 depending on who wins the election?

In this episode, we talk about logistics in Latin America, where Brazil is taking the top position in M&A, with strong consolidation. Despite many challenges yet to be faced in the region, the South American nation is even taking advantage of nearshoring opportunities in Mexico.

Joining Julie-Anna Needham is Priscilla Murphy, Mergermarket editor for Latin America based in Rio de Janeiro

In this episode we discuss the potential impact of the US presidential election on the oil and gas sector. A second Donald Trump administration is generally expected to be friendlier to the sector, with most eyes set on who could be named chair of the Federal Trade Commission, which has recently increased its scrutiny of oil and gas deals. However, a Kamala Harris administration, and its possible restrictions of drilling in federal land, could ironically lead to more oil and gas M&A.

Joining Julie-Anna Needham is Serafina Smith, who is a Mergermarket reporter in New York, and Carlos Martinez, who is Canada editor for Mergermarket.