Download PDF Introduction to SPAC deals A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is a company without any commercial operation that is formed to raise capital through an initial public offering to then merge with or acquire an existing private company. Generally, a SPAC is formed by an experienced management team Read more…
Download PDF Introduction Convertible bonds are a unique way of raising capital which allows investors to convert the security into a predefined number of shares of common stock given by the conversion ratio. Convertible bonds have a long history, dating back to the 19th century when American railway firms were Read more…
Download PDF Introduction Weather conditions play a fundamental role in the dynamics of the world economy, with estimates revealing that nearly 30% of economic activities and an overwhelming 70% of businesses encounter susceptibility to weather-related fluctuations. This substantial impact underlines the critical necessity to hedge the risk associated with weather. Read more…
Download PDF USA This week started quietly for the US markets, with all major equity indices falling slightly while investors were cautiously looking ahead to Thursday’s PCE print, which came out at 2.4%, the smallest annual increase in nearly three years. On Friday, the ISM data revealed a contraction in Read more…
Download PDF A Match made in Heaven In this article, we aim to integrate the momentum and carry factors to devise a strategy that enhances risk-adjusted returns. The underlying concept is straightforward. We seek to avoid positions with negative carry. Even with a momentum signal prompting us to go long Read more…
Download PDF Introduction: The TMT sector focuses on Technology, Media and Telecommunications and is oftentimes the leading fee generating business unit for Investment Banks worldwide. From regional boutiques to large household names like Goldman Sachs, deals are fought over what is seemingly the sector we interface with the most in Read more…
Download PDF Background The launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has brought the semiconductor industry under the spotlight, resulting in a year of particularly high hype from investors, with constant stock spikes and new technological standards. With generative AI software gaining popularity over the past year, chipmakers’ performance has begun to catch Read more…
Download PDF Introduction With the AI trend currently dominating markets highlighted by NVIDIA’s earnings announcement this week, Palantir has gained a fresh breath of momentum over the last year. It has yet to reach its all-time high which was during the meme-stock frenzy in January of 2021 fuelled by redditors, Read more…
Download PDF USA In a strong week for the broad U.S. stock market, equity indexes generally trended upward, except for the small-cap Russell 2000 Index, which was down 0.8% for the week. Both the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq Composite Index reached new intraday highs, with the latter experiencing Read more…
Download PDF Pre-IPO history The legend goes that the idea for what would become a multibillion-dollar disruptive company originated when its co-founders, Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, could not manage to find a cab after attending a prestigious tech conference in Paris. Both already successful startup founders, they envisioned a Read more…
Download PDF Introduction China’s economy has embraced growth prospects for as long as we can remember, but it now faces a myriad of systemic obstacles. From inherent problems tied to its aging population and lack of independent institutions, to today’s property and financial crisis, China is now at an important Read more…
Download PDF Introduction Interest rate derivatives (IRD) represent the largest segment of the OTC derivative market. As of June 2023, the global OTC derivatives notional outstanding amounted to $714.7tn as reported by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The biggest share of this market is represented by IRD and FX Read more…
Download PDF USA This week in the US, which was headlined by the upcoming CPI print, the markets showed mixed results. The Dow Jones managed to only grow by 0.2%, while the S&P 500 could not outgrow Monday’s opening numbers overall decreasing by 0.1%. NASDAQ experienced even a larger decline Read more…
Download PDF Introduction and the state of the private equity industry The geopolitical and macroeconomic environment in 2022 and 2023 led to a sharp decline in the value and volume of private equity deals. Multiple causes contributed to this collapse, with inflation headwinds being a major one. Inflation, which stood Read more…
Download PDF Introduction As Bill Ackman – Founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management [AMS: PSH] mentioned on an interview with David Rubenstein in November of last year, some people are simply born to be activist investors. Clearly, that begs the question: What are activist investors? The strategy refers Read more…