Transactions put on hold at the start of the year are coming back to life and there is optimism that M&A will have a significant role in shaping the recovery to come.

Businesses will have to adapt and evolve alongside the structural, behavioural and consumption changes triggered by the pandemic, and M&A will become a key tool to accelerate change.

Deal making will inevitably change to reflect this new landscape, whether through alternative M&A structures, and sellers coming to terms with SPACS or having to transact virtually and trying to bridge valuation gaps.

The Financial Times in partnership with Datasite, will provide a key forward looking market outlook for the Americas M&A market and explore the risks and opportunities that this new deal making environment poses.

What forms of creative deal making and innovation will prevail in 2021?

With capital flowing at a high pace in SPACS, what is the rationale behind acquiring a company using this mechanism?

What are the pros and cons of raising money through traditional public markets and SPACS?

Will this vehicle compete on large transactions?

Do they meet regulatory guidelines around transparency and accountability and what recourse is recourse is available to target in the event the SPACS breaches?

What other forms of creative deal making will prevail in a low growth environment from club deals to joint ventures?

What structural innovation is needed?

Funding options in a post-Covid world 

What sources of finance will be attractive/available in 2021? 

How will terms and pricing evolve?

Navigating the new political landscape

What M&A activity can we expect under the Biden administration?

How will the new presidential administration affect deal decisions?

What will be the impact of nationalist and foreign policy on cross border M&A? 

Redefining deal-making

How will corporations react to this new landscape? 

Beyond traditional M&A, what strategies will corporations deploy from partnerships with their peers, to cross sector alliances and investment in disruptive technologies?

How are dealmakers navigating the challenge of transacting deals virtually?

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