Resource Search

2020 was a chaotic year for many industries and the COVID-19 pandemic created a host of challenges for providers in the home health and hospice space. For investors and business owners in that space, the year ended with robust M&A activity in the hospice sector while the home health M&A activity remained dormant. Looking at the trends and challenges of 2020, what can investors and business owners expect in 2021?

Regardless of the sector, nearly every healthcare organization has made significant investments in technology, as data and computing became essential in the healthcare setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the pandemic, healthcare IT saw an uptick in M&A activity in certain sub-sectors. For those looking at potential investment deals in the healthcare sector, what can they learn from the trends in 2020 and what can they expect in 2021?

U.S. stock market performance, as measured by the S&P 500, has been driven by a small number of stocks over the past few years. The top five holdings now represent 21.9% of the S&P 500 as of December 31, 2020. It is also striking that each of the top five holdings share a common theme: technology and e-commerce. While investors shouldn’t give up on the S&P 500, there are possible alternatives that investors might want to consider.

The events of the last year have made the traditionally predictable world of real estate more chaotic and unclear. For family offices that invest in real estate, it means recognizing that every phase of their real estate investment brings on risk that can threaten its success and reputation. To remain competitive in the market, it is time to reflect on the past year, chart a course for success, and evaluate the risk philosophy and strategies.

In an uncertain market where each unfolding economic disruption is met with increasingly emboldened central bank intervention, economists are predicting accelerating declines in the value of all fiat currencies, including—and perhaps especially—in the U.S. dollar. Is gold the only way out for central banks looking to hedge their balance sheet? What about the individual investment portfolio? Where do the big banks think gold and silver are going in 2021?

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, this roundtable discussion was centered around faith-based institutions that seek to align their investments with the belief systems that guide their organizations while also being held accountable by their philanthropic donors. The diversity of the six participants—ranging in size and scale, complexity, geography, and faith—led to a robust discussion yielding multiple perspectives on the imminent challenges of COVID-19, faith-based initiatives, and three key takeaways on navigating the new landscape.

Even prior to COVID-19, China’s economy had been growing at a faster pace than the rest of the world. In 2020, Chinese equities outperformed most global equity markets, particularly emerging markets. China’s domestic (A-share) equity market remains relatively untapped by foreign investors. With U.S Large Cap equities dominating for the last decade, China’s domestic equities may present opportunities going forward.

The first half of 2023 is a key test of the global art market’s resilience in the face of geopolitical headwinds and current art market challenges stemming from economic woes from the U.K. to China, the debate over the preponderance of restituted works, and guarantees at auction coming into question. Despite the challenges, the market outlook points to continued strength as art rises as a strategic asset class, buyers place a premium on narrative in and around the art they collect, and the spending on art-based NFTs remain stable among high-net-worth collectors.

Private equity faces a crossroads. Looking at a challenging economy, the industry plans to turn its attention inward to current portfolio companies. From this 2023 BDO Private Capital Survey Report, learn where the private equity industry plans to invest capital and create value; how larger and smaller funds are deploying capital differently; how portfolio companies are experiencing staffing shortages and leadership skill gaps; how organic value creation is taking center stage; and how fund managers are changing their perspectives on viable exit paths.

While there are predictions of a recession amid a looming economic downturn, there are opportunities for investors to acquire distressed assets as part of their direct investing or mergers and acquisitions plan. In this 10-minute interview, attorney Tom Scannell highlights some of the issues potential buyers may face as they look at financially-distressed target companies, as well as the available legal tools and structures to facilitate an acquisition while decreasing risk. Tom also shares insights on other key considerations, including the importance of conducting due diligence.