Latest Interviews
Showing 16–21 of 21 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs16 min
Why Investors Are Shopping for Consumer Retail
Allison Nathan, Jennifer Davis, Vishaal Rana, Jen Davis
Record-breaking $14 billion in 2021 consumer retail IPO issuance, led by Goldman Sachs' $1.8 billion Olaplex deal, has driven 28 new public listings while direct listings and M&A activity continue to surge amid robust post-IPO market performance. Despite near-term headwinds including severe supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and inflation, the sector is pivoting toward omni-channel strategies and technology-driven brand experiences to navigate shifting consumer preferences. Looking ahead, Goldman Sachs forecasts sustained growth in the sector through 2022 and beyond, driven by megatrends such as digitization, health and wellness, and ESG integration, even as macroeconomic volatility persists.
- Goldman Sachs25 min
Europe at a Crossroads
Allison Nathan, Jari Stehn, Otmar Issing, Romano Prodi, Timothy Garton Ash
Over the last 18 months, the European Union has executed a historic fiscal shift by suspending stability rules and issuing €800 billion in common debt through the Next Generation EU fund to transfer resources from stronger to weaker member states. While this expansionary strategy, supported by the European Central Bank and a new German coalition, introduces a "stick and carrot" reform mechanism, it faces significant hurdles including potential moral hazard, legal challenges to the Maastricht Treaty, and the resilience of nationalist forces. The long-term sustainability of this integration depends on whether the bloc can manage temporary measures, navigate political risks like a potential French populist return, and adapt outdated fiscal criteria to current economic conditions before the recovery fund winds down.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
The Impact of Rising Natural Gas Prices
Damien Courvalin, Allison Nathan, Damian Cuervalin
Record-high natural gas prices in Europe have emerged from a convergence of surging global demand, particularly from China, and severe supply disruptions driven by underinvestment in fossil fuel infrastructure and regulatory issues surrounding Russian exports. This energy tightness, compounded by record-low inventory levels ahead of the winter peak, risks triggering industrial production cuts, accelerating inflation, and reducing economic growth across European economies. Goldman Sachs estimates that sustained price levels could force substitution toward oil, further elevating commodity costs while highlighting the structural dangers of rapid energy transitions without adequate backup capacity.
- Goldman Sachs26 min
The Delta Variant: Implications for Vaccines, Booster Shots and Economic Growth
Terence Flynn, Daan Struyven, Allison Nathan
Global discussions on the Delta variant highlight its heightened transmissibility and the robust protection of mRNA vaccines against severe disease, even as efficacy against mild symptomatic infection varies by region. Industry strategies are shifting toward booster programs for high-risk populations and the development of multivalent vaccines to address waning immunity and emerging threats. Concurrently, economic forecasts have been revised downward due to persistent case spikes in specific regions, supply chain bottlenecks, and consumer risk aversion slowing recovery in the United States and Asia-Pacific.
- Goldman Sachs27 min
The Future of ‘Femtech’
Ann Roberts, Lea von Bidder, Dr. Peter Kecskemethy, Antonia Riera, Allison Nathan, Leah Von Bitter
Flow Health CEO Anne Roberts, Ava co-founder Leah Von Bitter, and Chiron Medical founder Peter Ketch-Kometi led a strategic discussion on defining the Femtech sector through evidence-based science and rigorous regulation rather than consumer tech labels. The panelists detailed how their respective companies are leveraging machine learning and wearable physiology data to achieve massive scale, with Flow Health reporting 107% revenue growth and Ava successfully pivoting its algorithms for early COVID detection. While acknowledging the sector's unique capital challenges compared to fintech, the founders outlined future roadmaps focused on expanding product portfolios into menopause and contraception while pushing for AI-driven regulatory frameworks to enable broader clinical adoption.
- Goldman Sachs29 min
The IPO SPAC-Tacle
Allison Nathan, David Ludwig, Jay Ritter, Michael Klausner
The 2020–2021 IPO market defied pandemic headwinds to reach a $300 billion global record, driven by low interest rates and a surge in Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) activity that outnumbered traditional initial public offerings. While pre-merger SPAC investors enjoyed bond-like returns, experts like Michael Klausner warn that structural dilution and redemption risks are creating unsustainable losses for post-merger shareholders. Financial institutions project a market convergence where traditional IPOs and direct listings will evolve to address these inefficiencies, potentially replacing the current blank-check model.