Navigating the New Frontier: Tariff Impacts on M&A in 2025

The current landscape of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for middle-market companies is being dramatically reshaped by the new Administration’s tariff policies. Having guided dozens of mid-market companies through transactions in a volatile environment, the ClearRidge team has observed both significant challenges and unexpected opportunities emerging from today's protectionist trade policies.

Quality of Earnings when selling your company

Quality of Earnings (QOE) represents the most accurate representation of a seller’s true earnings by looking at a company’s historical revenue, earnings, and adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization). Historically, this will include normalizing revenues and expenses that are either non-recurring or not part of future operations. Other areas of focus include concentrations of risk from significant customer relationships, vendors, safety, information technology, environmental, insurance, key employees, and benefits. QOE will also consider future ...

Mergers & Acquisitions Report and Outlook Q1 2025

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions
In 2024, the U.S. mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape experienced a notable resurgence, setting the stage for continued growth in 2025. Deal Volume and Value: Through September 2024, both private equity and corporate M&A deal volumes increased by 17% year-to-date compared to the prior year. Despite this uptick, momentum decelerated later in the year due to elevated uncertainty, in part related to the outcome of the presidential election. In 2025, consensus among analysts is for a ...

O.E.M. MANUFACTURING AND SALES acquired by a Strategic Buyer

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions
OEM manufactures and supplies components and sub-assemblies to vendors of many of the world’s largest brand name original equipment manufacturers. The Strategic Buyer is a U.S. manufacturer and supplier with over 50 locations across the United States. The Strategic Buyer determined there was a strong fit with their strategic growth goals and the opportunity to capture OEM’s customer base, their manufacturing relationships in SE Asia and further expand operations through OEM’s foreign trade zone. OEM engaged ClearRidge to advise on acquisition strategy, manage the sale process and due diligence.
OEM_ClearRidge_Acquisition

Mergers & Acquisitions Report and Outlook for Fall/Winter 2024

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions
The first half of 2024 demonstrated a dynamic landscape for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the United States. Despite macroeconomic uncertainties, including the interest rate environment and inflationary pressures, strategic consolidations gained momentum, driven by factors such as technological advancement, supply chain optimization, and market expansion. The first half of 2024 recorded ...
Mergers & Acquisitions Report

Mergers & Acquisitions Report, News and Outlook for Q1 2024

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions
In the central region of the United States, M&A activity has remained robust, but across the broader United States, activity was muted in the first half of 2023, picking up through the remainder of the year. Looking ahead to 2024, two factors that will likely bring greater activity: i) stabilizing interest rates contribute to higher valuations and/or higher activity, and ii) consolidation trends in many industries. For the first time in ...
Q1 2024 Outlook Mergers Acquisitions

Mergers & Acquisitions Report, News and Outlook – ClearRidge Quarterly Update

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions
2023 has been a stronger year for M&A than many were expecting. At the same time, different industry sectors have registered greater disparity in valuations, deal activity and deal volumes than we typically see. We continue to have strong demand for acquisitions and more clients bringing businesses to market than in a typical year. This may be isolated to Oklahoma, Texas, and the Midwest, but our feel for M&A is …
Mergers & Acquisitions Report

What’s next for Mergers & Acquisitions in 2023? ClearRidge M&A Trends and Outlook

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions
While many anticipated a slowdown in 2023 with talks of a recession, we haven’t seen that in our central and southern region so far. At ClearRidge, we have had one of the busiest starts to any year since our founding fifteen years ago.  As we continue through 2023, we’re anticipating a further pickup in deal activity as there continue to be unprecedented levels of cash available for acquisitions, both from strategic and private acquirers.  Even in the event of a mild recession, company balance sheets are stronger now than when the US economy entered previous recessionary periods. With higher interest rates, companies have been committing more equity to ...
MergersAcquisitionsUpdate_03.02.2023

M&A Activity Diverges from Larger to Smaller Transactions in Q3 2022. What’s next for M&A in 2023?

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions
Global M&A activity plummeted in the third quarter of 2022, but that was attributable to a decline in large transformational industry transactions. Volatile equity markets (that comprise many public company strategic acquirers), rising interest rates and economic uncertainty have weighed on M&A activity. However, for ClearRidge and our private company transactions ($20 Million - $100 Million in revenues), transaction volume has been robust in …
M&A Activity Diverges from Larger to Smaller Transactions in Q3 2022

Second Half 2022 M&A Outlook Drivers: Tax changes, Inflation, Economy, Interest Rates, plus industry sector analysis

Posted by Matthew Bristow in Mergers & Acquisitions
Business owners may be contemplating selling in any given year but are often motivated by a trigger event to take action and sell. As discussed in our industry sector outlook research, many business owners are feeling now may be a good time to sell. The pipeline continues to be strong for new businesses coming to market. Analysts expect 2023 to …
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