Lincoln International's global professionals provide private capital market perspectives.

Volatile current trading: Consumers are still cautious and input price shocks and supply issues are still occurring. Set realistic / cautious near-term budgets that can be met or exceeded through a process. Buying commodities forward and hedging out currency risks to reduce input volatility.

Alex Masters
Managing Director | London

Significant deviations from near-term projected performance tend to be a major factor in derailing sales processes as it impacts buyers’ ability to underwrite medium-term business plans. We encourage management teams to spend significant effort in accurately building current year forecasts and reduce the element of surprise as we move along the sale process.

Preet Singh
Managing Director, Mumbai

The number one factor if strategic buyers are involved, is allowing sufficient time to educate and warm up these organizations. Secondly, having data to support the cycle from pipeline to backlog to revenue is critically important to show the ability to convert prospects into revenue.

James West
Managing Director, London

Poor preparation that requires company management to spend more time supporting the process than running the business, which can result in financial performance below expectations represented to buyers.

Scott Molinaro
Managing Director | Chicago

Communication failures can easily derail a process. A good advisor will ensure timely, transparent and clear communication between parties from start to finish.

Allison Marvel
Director | Chicago

Company performance relative to expectations during a process is key, along with the ability to demonstrate positive retention trends and sales velocity in the process.

Michael Fineman
Managing Director | Chicago

The significant underbuilding of new residential construction will act as a floor-to-construction activity and will eventually be a significant catalyst to housing starts and repair and remodel momentum. The result will be significant growth for building products manufacturers, distributors and installers over the medium to long term.

Scott Molinaro
Managing Director | Chicago

Private equity may be approaching an inflection point. With competition increasing, successful investors will need to maintain price discipline while thinking creatively and aggressively about shareholder value creation.

Allison Marvel
Director | Chicago

There are signs that unsolicited offers will be increasing in Japan. Shareholders are becoming more open to them, and the Japanese government and the Tokyo Stock Exchange are promoting it by implementing a series of regulation and framework reforms. The rapid growth of activist shareholders is accelerating this trend.

Kensuke Nakatsuka
Managing Director, Tokyo

We anticipate a continued shift to hyper-targeted marketing and an enhanced personalization of content across all marketing channels (traditional and digital), supported by the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions.

Michael Fineman
Managing Director | Chicago

New outsourcing verticals and a shift from full-service providers to deep experts, where pharma is contracting ‘best of breed’ specialists, are disrupting the pharma sector. Marketing approvals for cell and gene therapies and the often highly complex supply chain requirements to bring these treatments to patients will also evolve the sector. Additionally, the higher levels of automation in consulting (including med comms, market access, regulatory, etc.) are improving efficiency.

James West
Managing Director | London

We are seeing a gradual return to normal following multiple shocks for European consumers: 1) COVID-19: lockdowns, travel restrictions and supply chain shocks; 2) Ukraine: energy and broader inflation shocks and 3) cost of living crisis: decrease in consumers’ real spending power. As wages catch up with inflation, there has been an increase in discretionary spending. Companies need to design pricing, products and services to meet consumers’ needs as they spend these new marginal dollars, Euros and pounds.

Alex Masters
Managing Director | London