The Pipeline: M&A and IPO Insights

The IPO market is not going gangbusters, but the number of deals has increased year over year. Companies from a broad base of sectors are driving the uptick in activity, according to Richard Truesdell, global chair of the capital markets practice at Davis Polk. Richard recently joined The Pipeline podcast to discuss the state of the IPO market. He shared his views on how SpaceX and its aftermarket performance are impacting IPOs. Richard also discussed how SPACs and private equity firms are once again testing the IPO waters.

This episode of The Pipeline features a conversation about SpaceX that took place recently on MediaTalk, an S&P Global Market Intelligence podcast. The discussion breaks down the early trading days following SpaceX's historic IPO and notes how SpaceX's valuation metrics differ from the companies that went public during the dotcom era. The guests also discuss what's next in the space race and how 2026 is set to become the year of AI IPO. 


Featured experts:
John Fletcher, principal research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan
Iuri Struta, tech capital markets reporter at S&P Global Market Intelligence

Credits:
Host/Author: Mike Reynolds
Producer/Editor: Sarah James

In this episode of The Pipeline podcast, Vinod Chandiramani, head of capital advisory at Solomon Partners, explains why middle-market M&A has remained sluggish, noting higher borrowing costs, margin pressure and valuation gaps between buyers and sellers. He discusses how hybrid capital and structured equity solutions can help companies, founders and sponsors complete transactions or recapitalize while preserving upside. Chandiramani also reflects on his career path, including his experience on the in-house deal team for Bear Stearns during its sale to JPMorgan and how a professor got him into the world of restructuring. 


Credits:
Host: Joe Mantone
Guest: Vinod Chandiramani
Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun and Alison Perico

Jay Ritter has spent decades studying IPOs, and he has become a go-to source on the topic for policymakers and journalists alike. Ritter joined the Pipeline podcast to discuss his work as the director of the IPO Initiative at the University of Florida, the SEC's efforts to increase IPOs, and some challenges that companies like SpaceX and OpenAI will likely face if they execute their anticipated high-profile IPOs.

Kevin Desai, PwC's US and Mexico deals leader, joined The Pipeline podcast to discuss how recent market volatility is impacting M&A. The increase in uncertainty can give buyers and sellers pause as they face a more complicated financing picture and lower valuations. Desai said earnouts and stake sales are steps sellers can take to create some liquidity in the near term while putting themselves in a position to benefit from some upside down the road. For buyers, Desai said it can still make sense to pursue transactions that are truly transformational or help them deal with competitiveness in their market.