Strategic Alternatives
Episodes
How Commerzbank sees the future of finance
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Developments in technology, sustainability, and global competition will reshape financial institutio...
Is the VIX reflecting the true extent of market volatility?
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What will be the long-term economic impacts of the war in the Middle East? And how will markets look when attention finally returns to the beleaguered...
Beyond the Headlines: Oil, Inflation and Market Risk
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raise the prospect of a more prolonged energy shock, how should investors think about the implications for...
How sustainable finance is evolving to reflect new global realities
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As electricity demand surges, geopolitical risks increase, and the physical impacts of climate change escalate, how are investors responding? In this ...
How can businesses gain competitive advantage in the AI era?
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The current AI cycle, fueled by an unprecedented compute upgrade, is driving a fundamental economic shift. In this panel discussion at this year’s T...
ETF Innovators: How Capital Group powers active ETFs
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Once synonymous with passive, index-based investing, ETFs have become a vehicle for active managers seeking to deliver differentiated returns. Today, ...
APAC’s economies brace for a challenging 2026
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tariffs, currency pressures, a property slump: China faces challenges on multiple fronts. Meanwhile, Australia’s resilient economy risks triggering ...
Energy and mining sectors race to feed unprecedented demand
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As rocketing demand growth collides with real supply constraints, how can energy, power, and mining players fund and deliver the large-scale projects ...
Who will capitalize on the defense spending surge in 2026?
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With government spend poised to spike, defense valuations in Europe are at record highs. But the response to global threats brings opportunities for a...
Can Europe sustain its growth comeback in 2026?
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Domestic demand is on the rise in Europe. In the U.K., the labor market shows promising shifts. Could these trends help both economies in their battle...
2026 Outlook: macro, monetary policy & rates
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the options for global economies’ monetary policy in 2026, and are the markets pricing in the right moves? Jason Daw, Head of North America...
Will the U.S. be stuck in the stagflation trap for another year?
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Growth is too low for comfort, inflation is too high. What are the prospects of the U.S. breaking out of its ‘stagflation-lite’ zone in 2026? For ...
Can Canada’s divided economy be healed in 2026?
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the height of 2025’s tariff cycle, few would have expected Canada to enter 2026 resilient and recession-free. Behind the optimism, however, lies ...
Market signals for 2026: AI, credit, and the consumer crossroads
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI momentum is converging with rising credit stress, softening consumer trends, and a pivotal December Fed decision. RBC’s Amy Wu Silverman, Head of...
AI will not kill software – but vendors must pivot to survive
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The prevailing bear case suggests AI's rapid rise is eclipsing traditional software growth. New research from RBC Capital Markets takes a more nuanced...
Can hedge funds sustain record growth in a high-risk market?
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hedge fund assets now surpass $5 trillion. But in a risk-laden market, what will be the impact of macro and micro trends on future growth? Jack Weiss,...
While equities soar to record peaks, investors plan ahead
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earnings sentiment is fading and there’s widespread recognition that the current stretched valuations will see a correction. So how should equities ...
Energy insights: awakening the northern giant
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, RBC's Graeme Pearson, Co-Head of Global Research, joins Greg Pardy, Head of Global Energy Research, and Robert Kwan, Head of Global P...
Charting momentum in Industrials M&A
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Across the industrials space, M&A activity ranges from ‘challenging yet steady’ to highly robust. Following RBC’s Global Industrials Confere...
Five disruptors reshaping the U.S. economy
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vito Sperduto, Head of RBC Capital Markets, U.S., sat down with RBC Chief Economist Frances Donald, to explore five major disruptors reshaping the U.S...
EQT's innovation is transforming natural gas investment
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Natural gas markets are experiencing structural shifts as demand from power generation and data centers creates new growth opportunities. Industry lea...
What private credit newcomers signal for the market
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Insurance companies and pension plans are playing a bigger role in private credit, with new products evolving to meet their needs. But private wealth ...
The expanding reach of private credit
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Private credit has outpaced growth expectations in recent years — but where is it headed next? In this episode of Strategic Alternatives, Robert Gri...
Healthcare trends indicate growing activity despite macro headwinds
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Levin, Interim Global Head of Healthcare Investment Banking and Co-Head of U.S. M&A, Ahmed Attia, Managing Director, Healthcare M&A and ...
The need for innovative financing solutions in digital infrastructure
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marcos Torres, Global Head of Media, Communications and Entertainment, sat down with fellow RBC Capital Markets experts Chip Wadsworth, Head of Techno...
Canada - An Energy Powerhouse
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, RBC Capital Markets' Co-Head of Global Research Graeme Pearson and Greg Pardy, Head of Global Energy Research, discuss key themes in ...
Navigating trade and tariffs: Impacts on global growth
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. tariffs are on pause for 90 days, but sizeable 10% tariffs imposed on most countries on April 5 remains in place, and it, along with steep tariff...
Securing the future of an underserved group: Middle-income America
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boomers are turning 65 in big numbers, and starting to think seriously about their financial future. Many of those in the middle-income bracket turn t...
Trump’s policies: Reshaping the defense landscape
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’ll join Janet Wilkinson, Managing Director and Head of Global Markets Flow Sales, EMEA, as she moderates a discussion with two RB...
Capital raising in 2025: Opportunity in volatility
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When headlines can tilt the capital markets from one day to the next, how can issuers, corporates, sponsors and investors stay on course? In this epis...
Predictions for a volatile geopolitical year ahead
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
2025 is set to be one of the most volatile geopolitical years in many of our lifetimes. The overwhelming uncertainty is causing “analysis paralysis”...
Global Banks Outlook 2025: Bigger dividends, more stock buybacks
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Banks enjoyed strong earnings and wielded big balance sheets in 2024, but can the momentum last another year? The answer is yes, at least in the U.S. ...
Global Energy Transition Outlook: AI, interest rates and policy reversals
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The global energy transition may be buffeted by political winds, but its progress is unstoppable. With new data revealing investment soared past $2 tr...
The forces behind the momentum in asset-backed securities
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The ABS market has evolved, expanding into new and non-traditional asset classes while attracting a broader investor base. Which sectors are driving t...
Global Financial Sponsors Hot Button Topics and Trends
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sponsor-backed deals are recovering steadily rather than spectacularly, but 2025 offers strong signs for cross-border activity in particular. In this ...
Navigating the Impact of U.S. Tariffs on Canada
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After tariffs were delayed, RBC’s Chief Economist Frances Donald spoke with Ram Amarnath, Co-Head of Global Financial Sponsors and Head of Canadian ...
Navigating markets in 2025: Whipsaws and fatter-tails call for tactical moves
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Lori Calvasina, Head of US Equity Strategy, is joined by two of her macro partners at RBC Capital Markets, Head of US Rates Strategy,...
2025 Outlook: Europe’s economies brace for more political upheaval
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recession looks avoidable for Europe in 2025, but significant growth is still elusive. This episode of RBC Capital Market’s Strategic Alternatives c...
Will Australia’s Consumers Rally in 2025?
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Australia’s hopes for some strengthening in growth in 2025 rest on a pickup in household spending to support the public demand currently underpinnin...
Which policies will impact the U.S. economy in 2025?
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
2025 will see the U.S. economy diverge even further from other developed nations, in ways that begin to look structural rather than cyclical. That’s...
Productivity and affordability: Canada’s top challenges in 2025
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Canada enters 2025 facing huge uncertainties at home and abroad. But one thing seems clear: it is set on a very different path to its powerful neighbo...
2025 Global M&A Outlook: Confidence meets caution
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lighter regulation under the next U.S. administration may make dealmaking simpler, at least in some sectors, but how will M&A be affected by Trump...
From IPOs to M&A: Shifting strategies at RBC’s 2024 TIMT Conference
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At RBC’s 2024 Global Technology, Internet, Media, and Telecom (TIMT) Conference, equity capital markets bankers sat down to discuss the key trends i...
2025 Outlook: Macro, Monetary Policy & Rates
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2025, Fixed income returns across the world will depend partly on the continuing resilience of the U.S. economy, and how far the Federal Reserve ta...
The first cut is the deepest
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At RBC's Global Industrials conference in Las Vegas, Vito Sperduto, Head of RBC Capital Markets U.S., and Lori Calvasina, Head of U.S. equity strategy...
Industrial Deal-Making: What a Difference a Year Makes
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last autumn the Industrials M&A landscape was subdued at best. This year the mood at RBC’s Global Industrials Conference was very different, wit...
Insights from a Wall Street Legend: An Exclusive Interview with Larry Grafstein
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With over $1 trillion in transactions under his belt, Larry Grafstein, Deputy Chairman, Global Investment Banking, RBC Capital Markets, shares career ...
Bond markets accelerate but volatility ahead?
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As U.S. issuances surge and redemptions from the low-rate era come due, the debt markets are in a dynamic phase, but what can issuers and investors ex...
What trends are shaping debt capital markets?
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Despite uncertainty around elections in Europe and the U.S., issuers have accelerated their funding plans in what has been a positive year for global ...
Investors Eye Canadian Energy as Game-Changing Projects Go Live
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Trans Mountain Pipeline is up and running; the LNG Canada export facility is gearing up. The promise of new routes and markets for Canadian produc...
Why U.S. Banks Are Set for Strong Performance
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a shifting financial landscape, banks are emerging as compelling value investments, driven by modest GDP growth and anticipated Fed rate cuts. Co-H...
Fintechs’ Reasons to Look on the Bright Side
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Covid put paid to the notion of fintech as a secular growth market, yet the sector continues to evolve, diversify, and transform financial providers. ...
Bringing Private Investment to Energy Transition Innovation
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Private capital is critical to energy transition efforts, but much of it to date has been channeled to renewables and electric vehicles. What are the ...
How to Invest in The Post-Pandemic Era
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Strategic Alternatives, we share a rebroadcast of the Meb Faber Show podcast episode, featuring Lori Calvasina, Head of US Equity S...
Under the Hood of Today’s Volatility and Options Markets
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Strategic Alternatives, we share a rebroadcast of an iCapital Beyond 60/40 podcast episode, featuring Amy Wu Silverman, Managing Di...
How to Build and Sell a Biotech in 2024
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With a combined deal value of $29bn under their belts this year, four CEOs reflect on what they’ve learned from their successes – and failures. Ro...
Energy M&A: A Game of Chess
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
RBC Global Energy’s Nick Woodruff and Tim Perry discuss the trends shaping the landscape of commodities, energy, and infrastructure investments comi...
Healthcare Equities Outlook: Opportunities for Outperformance
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This year has seen a pick-up in equity activity across healthcare, with a wider range of firms showing promise for value creation, and a stronger inve...
The Role of Sport in Supporting Youth Mental Wellbeing
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Wil Snape-Rogers, Executive Director, and Danielle Hundt, Chief Program Officer, of Play Rugby USA,&n...
U.S. in Prime Position as Energy Sector Eyes New Growth
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
External forces are weighing heavily on energy markets in very different ways. While enforcement of merger competition rules puts strain on M&A de...
A ‘Goldilocks Era’ for Oil and Gas M&A
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Oil and gas markets have reached a low- or no-growth business model, yet recent months have produced a surge in M&A activity not seen for a genera...
How private capital is reshaping Europe’s investment landscape
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Kolz, Global Co-Head, Equity Capital Markets, Paul Betts, Managing Director, M&A, Europe and Beatrix Pratte-Ness, Associate, M&A, Eu...
Insurance’s Resurgence and BDC Competition
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Late 2023 saw a pick-up in equity capital markets activity in financial services. Insurance and business development corporations show particular prom...
Tech's IPO Comeback
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After the tech IPO drought of 2023, what is the state of the market this year? Do software and AI companies have a path to go public? Jesse Chasse, MD...
Why investors see opportunity in 2024’s financial market
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Looming elections are likely to be a barrier to M&A deal activity beyond September. But deal activity across non-banking areas of the sector remai...
Resilient Finance Sector Looks to M&A Uptick
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With fewer, more gradual interest rate cuts than expected now on the cards, what does the remainder of 2024 have in store for financial sector M&A...
Where Will Retail Deals Get Made in 2024?
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Consolidation may be the theme of 2024 for retail’s most fragmented sectors. But how will the regulatory atmosphere, the U.S. election and geopoliti...
Will the Rush for New Tech Trigger Retail M&A?
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With a soft economic landing more likely, consumers seem ready to spend. However, retailers need to find ways to provide better customer experiences w...
Back to the Future for the 2024 Deal Landscape?
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Familiar fixtures are set to return to private equity M&A. Conventional financing is starting to look more attractive again; traditional sales are...
Private Equity: Still Looking for Exit Routes
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Private equity assets have mounted to $3 trillion as sponsors maintain their grip. Will 2024 see a long-awaited surge of exits? What conditions do pla...
ECM’s 2024 Rebound: Rebalancing the Equation
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After a year of macro volatility, equity markets look set to rebound in 2024, with a return to micro fundamentals, a stronger breadth of transactions,...
M&A’s 2024 Comeback: A Buyer’s Market?
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s taken longer than predicted, but a steady interest rate environment is laying the ground for an M&A recovery in North America and Europe. R...
Australian Outlook: Navigating Australia’s economic headwinds
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Macro Rates Strategist Robert Thompson analyzes Australia’s challenges such as softening growth, persistent inflation, and a weaker labor market hea...
Canadian Outlook: A downturn is coming but, how tough will it get?
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Growth is poor, labor is a concern, but inflation seems to have been punctured. Nathan Janzen, Assistant Chief Economist, Canada, examines what the ec...
U.S. Outlook: Will the US economy achieve a soft landing in 2024?
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the U.S. economy shows positive signs for growth, inflation, and interest rates in 2024, RBC Capital Markets’ RBC Capital Markets’ Michael Reid...
European Outlook: Can inflation be tamed as fast as markets hope?
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are widespread expectations that UK and EU inflation will hit target levels in 2024 – yet many obstacles remain. Peter Schaffrik, Chief Europe...
A Turning Point for Big M&A Deals: Antitrust Landscape Evolves
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Going into the next election, US regulators are more likely to double down than back off their focus on big M&A deals and they’re looking most c...
Balance is Key to Kick-starting the IPO Market
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The equity capital market is technically open. Some big IPOs have been delivered. Yet many investors and issuers still prefer to wait rather than act....
Remaining Resilient: M&A and IPO Activity Marches On
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From geopolitical volatility to a looming election year, there’s hardly been a more important time to examine strategic alternatives. With M&A l...
How Construction Defied Every Gloomy Prediction
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Corporate buyers currently have the edge when it comes to M&A opportunities in industrials. Yet customized deals may increasingly provide a way fo...
Industrials Dealmaking Makes a Comeback
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Recent deals in the industrial sector suggest an acclimatization to the new interest rate environment. What are the prospects for an unleashing of pen...
Private Equity and Corporate Strategies Converge, Get Creative
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a growing trend in joint ventures between sponsors and corporates as boardrooms seek out Private Equity expertise and funding to get complex...
Private Equity Readies for IPO Market Reopening
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A rebound in bank lending for H2 2023, steady interest rates, recent valuation corrections and lots of dry powder offer hope for an uptick in private ...
How does the end of ‘free capital’ impact deal structure?
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
M&A transactions have fallen 30-45% year-on-year. But while the era of “free capital” may be over, sophisticated structures and a return of CE...
Sophistication, strength and sound structure; M&A in 2023
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With greater regulatory clarity, some transactions are becoming easier and less costly to execute, while challenging macro conditions call for sound s...
Get Ready for ‘Fast and Furious’ Healthcare M&A
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A tightened regulatory environment is shifting firms away from large cap mergers towards smaller deals. But with over a trillion dollars on balance sh...
Scaling Healthcare Growth and Innovation Through M&A
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From innovation to disruption, this fast-moving sector is set for more twists and turns, as an upcoming wave of M&A activity appears on the horizo...
Beyond the Headlines: The Potential of Crypto Technology
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the prospects for cryptocurrency M&A? Crypto challenges aside, blockchain technology has become an attractive and unexpected M&A targ...
Is Tech Ready to Transact?
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
History tells us that bold moves during times of turbulence tend to win, and today’s market is ripe with opportunity. Many tech players are cash ric...
Regulation and Activism On The Rise
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The regulatory and activism lens is widening across a bigger range of deals, dealmakers, and across a wider spectrum of industries. Discover how the y...
Navigating the New Normal
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
2023 will bring a ‘new normal’, making it an opportune time for dealmakers to redefine their M&A playbook as transactions become more complex,...
Dealmaking In Disrupted Times
07 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In almost every corner of the globe, rising macro and market volatility has increased the complexity and cost of M&A. Can dealmakers find new ways...
Macro M&A Update
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Key points:Boardroom confidence has dipped due to macro uncertainty, but corporates are still poised for M&A action.2022 activity has dropped belo...
How Do You Price Goodwill?
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hear the discussion on how public policy factors into current deals.Key points:Increasing antitrust scrutiny is extending M&A deal timelines and h...