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It’s all hot – Infotech M&A and the US Presidential election. Our October 2016 M&A Market Update.

Oct 28, 2016

It’s all hot – Infotech M&A and the US Presidential election. Our October 2016 M&A Market Update.

Fintech, Market Update, Newsletter 0 Comments

Our October 2016 Market Report is our latest update on the m&a values and trends in the dozen+ sectors of the information technology industry that we follow and sometimes lead. Read more here.

We’re busy. We helped a client close one deal last week and have several others looking close.

At the same time, we are less than two weeks away from the US Presidential election –and that takes up my attention too. Anyone who believes the results of this election are pre-ordained should ask the British about Brexit or the Colombians about their recent referendum on peace.

In both cases, the results shocked more than half of the population. I’ve voted in many elections. But this will be the first for my daughter.

My message to her is simple: vote for whomever you choose. But choose wisely. Get beyond the catch phrases, the cartoon stereotypes, the 30-second TV commercials and the media hype. Do your homework; understand real positions. Understand the consequences.

Voting matters. I’ve made my choice. In fact, I voted already via absentee ballot. I based my vote on the person that most shares my values and that has the experience, wisdom, maturity and temperament to lead us in troubled times.

I thought about national security, moral leadership, fiscal solvency, healthcare, jobs, infrastructure, care of the elderly, poverty, international trade, education and which of two flawed candidates I would most want the children of this country to emulate.

I’ve made my choice. Now I need to go back to helping clients.

As you will see from our report found here, it’s a busy time. A few of the more interesting deals this month include:

  • Intel (Nasdaq:INTC) spun out McAfee, and sold a majority stake in it to TPG for $3.1bn in cash, valuing the entire company at $4.2bn or an implied 1.9x revenue,
  • CBOE Holdings (Nasdaq:CBOE) acquired BATS Global Markets (BATS:BATS) for $3.2bn, at 1.9x LTM Revenue and 13.1x LTM EBITDA,
  • Informa PLC (LSE:INF) acquired Penton for $1.6bn, valuing the company at an implied 4.2x LTM revenue and 11.0x LTM EBITDA,
  • Parthenon Capital Partners (Boston,MA) acquired a majority ownership stake in BillingTree for an undisclosed sum. Marlin & Associates acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to BillingTree,
  • Payroc (Chicago, IL) acquired the assets of iTransact for an undisclosed sum. Marlin & Associates acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to iTransact.

Don’t forget to vote. It’s important.

For our full M&A October Market Update Report, click here.

Ken Marlin

Ken Marlin

Ken Marlin is Managing Partner and Founder of Marlin & Associates and the author of "The Marine Corps Way to Win on Wall Street: 11 Key Principles from Battlefield to Boardroom" (St. Martin's Press 2016).

Over the course of more than 30 years Ken has advised scores of U.S. and international middle-market technology enabled firms on the best ways to buy, sell, grow and thrive. Along the way, he's been an entrepreneur (three times), a tech company CEO (twice), a senior corporate executive (twice) and an investment banker.

Seventeen years ago, Ken embarked on a journey to create a different sort of investment bank - one that would meld the investment banking skills he learned over 20 years on Wall Street with lessons he learned as a tech entrepreneur and the principles he learned during the decade he spent on active duty as a U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer. Today, Marlin & Associates is one of the most active M&A advisers in the information technology arena.

Institutional Investor Magazine has five times named Ken as one of II’s “Tech 50” and the II “FinTech 35” - both of which honor the most influential figures in the financial technology data and analytics sector.

Outside the office, Ken is a trustee of the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club, which serves underprivileged kids throughout the five counties of New York City; and an active supporter of the Phoenix House Foundation, The Wall Street Warriors Foundation, The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, University of the People, the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, and Outward Bound Peacekeeping.

Ken’s book has garnered strong reviews and is consistently ranked among the top in governance, finance and leadership. One reviewer called it a compelling vision to improve Wall Street by returning to solid core values like taking the long view, behaving with honor, delivering excellence and working for a cause greater than money.

Ken earned a BA from the University of California (Irvine), an MBA from UCLA, and a post-MBA Advanced Professional Certificate in Corporate Strategy from New York University. He lives in New York City with his wife, daughter, a dog, a cat and turtle.

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