The Big Deal Podcast

The coronavirus has changed the way many financial services firms operate, and may spur a new way of fintech M&A. Several industry practitioners shared their views on where M&A is likely to occur and the factors that could drive it.  Listen now, and subscribe to The Big Deal Podcast to catch future episodes.  (Photo: AP) 

Private equity firms are likely to continue investing in insurance brokerage space despite troubles in the leveraged loan market, according to Arik Rashkes, managing director and head of Houlihan Lokey Inc.'s insurance practice. In the wake of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the leveraged loan market has experienced increased defaults and decreased issuance, but in a new episode of The Big Deal podcast, Rashkes said private equity firms and lenders each have funds they want to deploy. In the episode, Rashkes Cohen discusses: 2:45 The outlook for M&A in the brokerage space; 9:00 The logistics of deal talks, social distancing; 14:20 Leverage and private equity activity in the insurance sector; 20:50 Inking large insurance deals in a crisis; 23:00 Technology is an M&A driver; The Big Deal Podcast, hosted by S&P Global Market Intelligence journalists Moira Dickinson and Steve Matthewson, takes listeners inside the key themes driving deals among financial institutions. Each episode, you will hear from deal-makers, advisers, executives and others involved in complex, high-stakes corporate transactions. Subscribe on Soundcloud to catch future episodes. (Photo: AP) 

Getting bigger is almost always a motivating factor in M&A, but the reasons that banks are looking to expand through acquisitions have changed, according to two of the leading U.S. bank deal advisers, Vinnie Badinehal of RBC and Rodgin Cohen of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Tune in for the inaugural episode of The Big Deal Podcast.