Jay Sachetti joined Jeff O’Brien, partner at Husch Blackwell and Dyanne Ross-Hanson, president of Exit Planning Strategies talked about the market for mergers and acquisitions, exit planning opportunities for companies that don’t end up for sale and how companies can maximize their eventual sale price during an early October panel at the first Upsize on Tap event at Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul.
When the state Legislature passed a law requiring employers to provide paid leave and safe time for employees, Justin Bieganek started hearing differing details from friends, colleagues and peers.
The concerned phone call came right after Presidents’ Day, from one of Peter Eckerline’s customers who winters in Naples, Florida. The customer had read two economic forecasts that the U.S. economy will slow this year.
Eckerline pointed to the No. 1 prediction by Merrill Lynch’s economic gurus, at the end of 2006. “The U.S. economy is going to start to slow down,” says Eckerline, senior vice president of investments in Merrill Lynch’s Wayzata office.
The Merrill folks are projecting U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP, to grow 2 percent to 2.5 percent in 2007, compared with better than 4 percent last year.
Eckerline is advising customers to look at global strategies, especially in emerging markets. “Brazil, India, China, Russia are your faster-growing economies,” he says.
Peter Eckerline, Merrill Lynch: 952.476.5612; p_*********@**.com; www.outlook.ml.com
