This September marked the one-year anniversary when 12 major shareholders in US shale oil and gas producers met in Manhattan to discuss ways to turn fracking operations from cash burners into cash distributors. In the following months since that clandestine meeting, the very same shareholders, including Invesco Ltd., Macquarie Group and others, pressed executives to curtail capital expenditures and instead use that cash to reward investors with dividends and share buybacks.

In keeping with the controversy that often accompanies him, Mike Ashley, CEO and 61%-owner of Sports Direct [LON:SPD], caused a stir with one of the more inflammatory stock exchange announcements likely to be issued this month. This time, he accused shareholders of backstabbing.

Dublin once again played host to international views at Deal Drivers Ireland 2018.

Krzysztof Urbański, Director of M&A at Orange spoke to Olivia Cummins about telecom transactions and deals ahead of this year's CEE M&A and Private Equity Forum.

Emilio Zito, Head of M&A and Special Projects at EDF, took time to speak to Olivia Cummins about the progression of infrastructure investments ahead of this year's Italian M&A and Private Equity Forum.

While steep tariffs and current account deficits of late have sent emerging market (EM) currencies and equity markets into a tail spin, longer-term demographic trends may have larger consequences for asset prices in developing markets.  

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to this year’s CEE M&A and Private Equity Forum which will take place on October 3-4, 2018 at the InterContinental Hotel in Warsaw. The yearly Forum has deservedly become a seminal, must-attend event in our industry. Wolf Theiss is pleased to continue its sponsoring role for the 9th year and I am delighted to continue my chairmanship role for the 5th successive year.

The ongoing trade dispute between the US and its immediate neighbors has instilled uncertainty in investors, especially about the prospects of Mexico’s auto industry.

• Game, home shopping companies look for global buys
• Cable consolidation to happen eventually; CJ Hello, Tbroad seen attractive targets
• Friendly policy, Pangyo’s 2nd complex positive for more deals
  

• Mexico´s one-team-per-investor policy to drive deal activity
• Fall of narco-soccer helps Colombian clubs attract investors
• Youth soccer academies flourish in Brazil

• Brexit denting inbound M&A, business investment
• PM May's consistent line on protecting key industries
• Powers akin to those bossed by US CFIUS regime

• Share of domestic activity at highest level since 2009
• Next-Gen disruptors unsettle various sectors
• Deeper deal scrutiny impacts wider dealflow