The most notable development for the French Competition Authority over the past 18 months has been its growing attention to the digitalization of merger control.

Dependable recurring income from digital music rights is attracting major investment from PE funds.

High yield bond and leveraged loan issuance by European industrials, chemicals and materials companies sustained steady activity levels in Q1 2021 as they took advantage of a borrower-friendly market to raise financing

Dealmaking within the PMB sector enjoyed an impressive start as companies across the globe embarked on their post-pandemic recovery.  

Borrowers are taking advantage of buoyant leveraged loan markets in the US and Europe to reprice existing credits at lower interest rates, and lenders are happy to oblige

The first quarter of 2021 saw a string of big-ticket deals in the transportation sector, pushing quarterly deal value to a record high

Highly competitive and liquid markets saw leveraged loan issuance in the US and Europe surge, while activity in Asia-Pacific dipped despite high-profile jumbo deals

Borrowers in the United States, Europe and Asia are tapping buoyant bond markets to extend maturities and refinance existing debt at cheaper rates

Signs of a rebound follow last year's pullback in private equity real estate deals

A string of deals took place in the first quarter as energy firms look to capitalize on offshore wind's potential  

More than any other factor, the energy transition motivates utilities deals worldwide

European non-performing loan trends in a post-COVID-19 world

Where will the European NPL market go from here? A lot depends on vaccine rollouts and the end of debt relief measures. For many, that will be their first chance to assess the damage and plan ahead.

Early in 2020, as the pandemic took hold, the European NPL market went into lockdown along with the rest of the economy—but as the market opened up in the second half of the year, NPL sellers jumped back in, setting the stage for a busier 2021.

In Q1 2021, private equity activity reached its highest quarterly value in more than a decade