Week in Review: Loans, Breakdancing, and Energy

According to Thompson Reuters, the U.S. leveraged loan market is set for a $1 trillion year in 2014. Last year saw a record $1.14 trillion issued with investors “starving for yield and aiming to hedge against an eventual rise in short-term interest rates.” Most of the loans were used for refinancing or repricing last year — but what about in 2014?

In addition to loans, 2013 was a good year for fundraising. Private equity firms raised an aggreage of $169 billion — the most since 2008. However, over half went to firms with at least $4.5 billion in assets.

In other news, did you know Steven Graham of Graham Partners can breakdance? Watch him airswipe.

Opinions:

• 15 steps to set your company up for a successful M&A transaction
• In 2014, adtech facilitators brace for programmatic headwinds
• 6 reasons 2014 will be a strong year for M&A activity
• Get ready for the bull market in mergers
• Private equity giants dominate 2013 fundraising
• Private equity groups focus on operations to combat lean returns
• Does private equity count as diversification?
• Leveraged resolutions: 5 Predictions for private equity in 2014
• 2013 was a terrible year for energy mergers
• Strategic considerations for start-up private equity fund managers

Transactions:

• Evergreen Enterprises receives $55 million from Wells Fargo Capital Finance
• Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners buys Sound Seal
• Bertram Capital acquires Maxcess International
• Quench secures $38.5 million in growth financing
• Resilience Capital Partners acquires Mill City TEC as add-on
• Blackboard acquires MyEdu
• Encore Consumer Capital sells Zuke’s

Member Spotlight:

Marcum Cronus Partners is pleased to announce the expansion of its presence in the environmental sector with the hiring of John J. Quirk, as a Managing Director specializing in water, waste and alternative energy. Mr. Quirk was previously a member of the Marcum Cronus Board of Advisors and a Director of Corporate Development for Donjon Marine Co., Inc. He has over twenty years’ experience in the environmental industry, including both investment banking and private equity. Mr. Quirk headed a firm’s environmental practice focused principally on companies in solid waste, hazardous waste, waste transportation, recycling, alternative energy, air and water and was a co-founder of a firm specializing in the environmental sector.

Marcum Cronus Partners is an investment banking firm that provides financial advisory and investment banking services to clients that engage in middle-market transactions domestically or internationally. A member of the Marcum Group, the firm is an affiliate of Marcum LLP, one of the largest independent public accounting and advisory services firms in the U.S.