ESG-linked financing issuance swelled in 2021, with issuers responding to the rapid growth in investor demand for environmental and socially-linked debt issuance

Lifting pandemic restrictions, coupled with successful vaccination rollouts in the Gulf and an improving economic outlook, supported a rebound in loan and bond activity in the Middle East in the first half of 2021

Take private activity reached a decade high in the first half of 2021, fueled by large sums of dry powder and heated competition for assets.

PE is breaking records, notably in the education sector

FPSOs have revolutionized deep-water oil extraction but these technically complex vessels are a fertile ground for uncertainty, spiraling costs and long delays

PE investors stand ready to fund spinoffs of non-core assets as companies refocus for the recovery

Refinancing activity supports a double-digit year-on-year uptick in leveraged loan issuance in the United States and Europe, while mega-deals dominate in the Asia-Pacific region.  

Investors are finding businesses showing resilience

Low interest rates and high levels of liquidity are fueling transformational M&A deals  

Increasing cooperation between global PE players is pushing up price tags  

A brightening macroeconomic outlook and supportive deal environment helped push second-quarter value to a new record.

COVID-19 has had a significant effect on construction projects around the world, delaying work and forcing many parties to go back to their contracts and examine whether there is scope for a claim, and Saudi Arabia was no exception.

Urban environments are in the middle of a revolution. The powers of technology and data are being harnessed to make cities safer, more efficient and more sustainable. 

Leveraged finance activity in the healthcare sector made strong gains through Q1 2021 as the pandemic response saw the industry attract steady investor inflows and M&A interest

The number of distressed and liquidation-related M&A deals, especially in the US and UK, has increased year on year as businesses struggle to adapt to their post-pandemic reality.

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.  

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

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

COVID-19 disruption has had little impact on borrowers' ability to refinance debt and extend loan maturities

SWFs acquired more deals in 2020 as they hunted for stable returns in volatile times

When COVID-19 closed the IPO window at the start of last year, expectations were bleak. But the market fought back and 2020 ended on a high.

As the pandemic continues to overshadow financial markets and the global economy, the following factors will have a major impact on the IPO market in 2021

IPO activity ground to a halt following the outbreak of the pandemic, but activity in the second half of the year more than made up for the downturn

As the dust begins to settle, shareholder activists are making a comeback

Dealmaking is gradually making a comeback in the sector, both as a means to rebuild hard-hit companies and to meet growing consumer demand

The European leveraged finance market remains resilient after a year of unprecedented hardship, as lenders dissect credits to determine the best possible deals, from pricing to documentary terms

After years of warnings about maturity walls, impending cliff edges, downturns and interest rate hikes that failed to emerge, COVID-19 was the event that brought everything to a temporary standstill—but there's every chance that the markets will explode with activity in the months ahead