Blog | Middle Market Investment Banking Insights

Check out our monthly newsletter (WS360 - August 2011) on merger and acquisition trends for the energy, industrial and infrastructure sector.

Check out our monthly newsletter (WS360 - September 2011) on merger and acquisition trends for the energy, industrial and infrastructure sector.

Check out our monthly newsletter (WS360 - July 2011) on merger and acquisition trends for the energy, industrial and infrastructure sector. Earnings continue to rise for most companies. Supportive debt and equity markets provide liquidity for the continuation of corporate merger and acquisition activity as well as property acquisitions and divestitures. 

Middle market mergers and acquisitions activity remains strong. Activity was 44% higher for the 12 months ended March 2011 as compared to same period ended March 2010.

Broader middle market merger and acquisition activity remains strong – higher than its 10-year average. Valuations continue to improve and are quite healthy.

An investment banker’s role is to assist you in achieving your goals by acting as your advisor, advocate and agent.  The investment banker manages the entire sale process, from inception through closing. The typical company sale process takes six to nine months from the time you make a decision to move forward. While the process of selling a business will vary somewhat depending on your objectives, company size, the nature of the industry and market conditions, the basic steps are outlined below.

When pursuing a company sale, there are a few important points to consider. 

One of the key roles a M&A advisor or boutique investment bank plays is representing his client during the sale of the client's company.  Due to the importance of a company sale and the complexities that arise during a transaction, it is advisable to hire an experienced investment banker who will act as your advocate. A skilled investment banker can assist in many ways:

As a provider of merger and acquisition services to sellers of middle market companies, we spend a great deal of time preparing and strategizing about determining the right approach to ensure we achieve the maximum price for our clients’ businesses.  Many factors play into this process, such as performing in-depth due diligence and tying up loose ends, preparing the company’s story and sales pitch, researching and identifying the best buyers, and very aggressive marketing and negotiation tactics.