Despite an improving economy and broad-based growth, opportunities abound to acquire distressed companies in out-of-favor sectors such as automotive components and textiles, as well as industries that have suffered from the high cost of oil. As prices for well-performing companies spiral skyward due to stiff competition for the most attractive deals, hundreds of private equity firms and hedge funds are putting capital into distressed companies and distressed securities in search of better returns.

The recently announced joint venture between Nokia Corp and Siemens AG, which will result in the combination of their telephone equipment units in a deal valued at roughly $31.6 billion, has increased M&A speculation in the telecom market. In an industry plagued by...

The first question most business owners ask when we meet with them is: “So what’s my business worth?” This Viewpoint helps answer this question by explaining some of the core valuation tools and vocabulary, and by describing the approaches used to estimate a valuation range for a specific business. This valuation primer dovetails with our recent two-part Viewpoint series on “Creating Value”, which discussed the factors that ultimately determine the specific premium buyers are willing to pay for a company.

Led by the NYSE Group's recent stock offering, activity in the securities exchange market continues to heat up. Recently, the NYSE Group, who after its stock offering has a war chest of between $1-2 billion, announced it was in talks with other exchange groups regarding....

When potential buyers look at your company, they view the value of your business through the dual lenses of perceived opportunity and perceived risk. As discussed in the March Viewpoint, understanding the value-creation factors that make up the buyer mindset assists you in building value into your company. In essence, knowing what factors drive the decision making of potential buyers gives you a blueprint of how to build the most valuable company possible.