A.E. Feldman Blog

Emerging markets have benefited over the past few years from low interest rates and bond yields, unprecedented risk tolerance, and plentiful global liquidity.  Many of these conditions however have recently been called into question. The global credit cycle is becoming more restrictive as concerns over the U.S. credit and housing markets are spilling over into [...]

Investors, in search of greater returns, are pouring money into hedge funds.  The average hedge fund worldwide returned 7.7% in the first half of 2007, according to Bloomberg. That beats the S&P 500’s 6.9% gain, including dividends.  The high-risk, high-return industry promises returns that are less vulnerable to declines in the stock and bond markets. [...]

Hedge funds are seemingly immune from the subprime fallout. There has been a lot of suffering in the market for mortgages to people with less than stellar credit histories.  Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke, warns that the situation with subprime loans will likely grow worse before improving.  Bernanke says there will be “significant financial losses” from [...]

Private equity has captured headlines and come under increased scrutiny in recent months.  Not only have government agencies proposed legislation, regulation and taxation, labor organizations have also come forward promoting workers interests and greater transparency.  This may come as no surprise.  The asset class has enjoyed exponential growth.  This year, private-equity deals totaling $443.2 billion [...]

Demand for international tax professionals is absolutely soaring.  So says, executive recruiting firm, A.E. Feldman.  One main driver behind the demand: the global marketplace is highly competitive and the ability of many firms to operate profitably in diverse geographic markets is vital.  Operating globally however gives way to a number of legal, finance and global [...]

Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke, told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that hedge funds play an important role in providing liquidity and distributing risk in financial markets. “They certainly are a benefit to the economy. They provide a good deal of liquidity in the markets.”  Bernanke also said the Fed should seriously consider federal licensing of mortgage [...]

Low interest rates and aggressive lending by banks and other lenders have fueled the current buyout boom. Nine of the largest ten private equity deals on record were completed since 2005, according to private equity investment advisory firm, Franklin Park Associates. Deal tracker, Dealogic, also reports that private equity deals accounted for about 34% of [...]

The current surge in M&A activity is expected to accelerate through 2007 as deal values soar.  Now, with larger and more complex deals on the horizon, business valuation is more vital than ever.  That means, right now, CPA’s with expertise in this area are in short supply.  Executive recruiting firm, A.E. Feldman, says the number [...]

The global battle against money laundering is costing banks about 60% more than it did three years ago.  That’s according to a recent survey by KPMG LLP.  Banks also predict the price to monitor and stop money laundering is going to increase substantially.  Meanwhile, the pick up in cross-border deals is only complicating matters.  Banks [...]

The continued buy-out boom is providing a windfall for transaction advisory groups, and accounting firms are staffing up to ride the wave of mergers and acquisitions.  Thanks to a steady stream of large-scale mergers, buy-outs and corporate spin-offs, the need for transaction services professionals has grown dramatically.  Even now as rising global interest rates and [...]