AmplifyME

🎉 That’s A Wrap On 2024! 🎉 What a year it’s been for AmplifyME – for our incredible team and the thousands of students we’ve empowered with hands-on experience through our simulations. A huge thank you to our brilliant partners in higher education and industry. Together, we’ve continued to innovate in finance education, attraction, and recruitment. From launching new products and winning awards to breaking down barriers for the next generation of finance professionals, these achievements wouldn’t have been possible without this amazing community. As we gear up for an exciting 2025, here’s a look back at AmplifyME’s standout moments from the year. See you in 2025! 👋

Goldman Sachs M&A Outlook 2025 🤝 If 2024 marked a shift to growth, 2025 will accelerate momentum on a global stage, according to the U.S. investment bank. The key drivers unlocking growth and transformation in the year ahead: 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌&𝐀 With key M&A bottlenecks of monetary policy and regulatory uncertainty addressed — at least directionally — CEO confidence is rising amid broader expectations that the new US administration will usher in more supportive regulatory policies, fueling corporate M&A. 𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 More than half of global separation announcements in 2024 occurred outside the United States. Driven by a mixture of portfolio complexity and optimal capital allocation, corporate separation activity remains strong across the globe, with few signs of slowing. 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐦 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐳𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐌&𝐀 Sponsors are tapping into a range of strategic levers to unlock liquidity — sponsor-to-sponsor deals, minority stake sales, and creative continuation fund structures — driven by high levels of dry powder primed for deployment and continued focus on returning capital to investors. 𝐀𝐈-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐌&𝐀: 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 GS view the AI era through an Infrastructure-Platform-Application framework, with most M&A activity to date concentrated at the Infrastructure and Platform layers. The anticipated wave of industry transformation is already sparking M&A among technology companies. #GoldmanSachs #MergersandAcquisitions #CorporateFinance #Deals

📈 UK Inflation Hits 8-Month High Fuelling Calls to Hold Rates The UK inflation rate has gone up for the second month in a row, with prices rising at their fastest pace since March. Inflation hit 2.6% in the year to November, according to official figures. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞? Fuel and clothing were among the main drivers behind the rise. Increasing ticket prices for gigs and plays were also a factor. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬? Analysts say the latest figures mean the Bank of England will almost certainly not cut interest rates when it meets on Thursday. Only two cuts are expected in 2025, down from three at the start of the week. Source: BBC #UK #Economy #Inflation #BankofEngland #InterestRates

🚗 Honda & Nissan: A $52bn Merger in the Making? Nissan Motor Corporation and Honda are reportedly exploring a merger that could create the world’s third-largest carmaker, combining their strengths to tackle mounting challenges in the auto industry. Here’s why this potential deal matters: 🥊 Global Competition: Facing stiff competition from Chinese EV makers like BYD and global giants like Tesla, both companies need scale to stay competitive. 🤝 EV Collaboration: The duo already teamed up to develop EVs, but a merger could fast-track their ability to invest in technology and compete effectively. 🌎 Geopolitical Risks: With Donald Trump’s return as US president, uncertainties around tariffs and emissions rules loom, making Nissan’s US and Mexico manufacturing a strategic asset. 💰 Financial Struggles: Nissan, with a market value of $8.2bn, has seen a 40% stock drop this year, while Honda’s stronger position ($44bn market cap) adds stability. However, challenges remain: overlapping operations, potential job cuts, and cultural differences between the companies (French car maker Renault owns 36% of Nissan). If successful, this merger could redefine Japan’s auto industry and intensify competition in the global EV race. Source: FT #cars #manufacturing #mergersandacquisitions #investmentbanking

Celebrating AmplifyME Alumni Stepping into New Roles! (Part 3) Amazing to see more of our Summer Analyst Training Programme alumni secure exciting roles in finance: Luca Joseph will be joining Wells Fargo as a 2025 Summer Analyst within the Commercial Real Estate Division. Aránzazu De Albertis del Castillo is set to join Goldman Sachs as a 2025 Asset & Wealth Management Summer Analyst in their London office. Jawad Darr has joined the Intercontinental Commodity Exchange (ICE) as a Market Surveillance Analyst in London. Lohan MARCIANO will be joining BNP Paribas CIB for a 6-month off-cycle internship in January as part of the Commodity Derivatives team. A shoutout to Marco Andriollo, who will join the Asset & Wealth Management Research Centre at PwC Luxembourg as a Market Analyst Trainee. Congratulations to Luca, Aránzazu, Jawad, Lohan, and Marco. Wishing you all the best in your new roles! 🙌

🚨 Fed Watch: What to Expect This Week via Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs expects the Federal Reserve to deliver a 25bps rate cut this Wednesday, but they believe the pace of cuts will slow moving forward. Here's why: 1️⃣ Unemployment vs. Inflation - Unemployment is projected to drop below the Fed's 2024 forecast. - Inflation remains above the Fed’s target. 2️⃣ Key Signals to Watch GS expects the Fed to emphasise two things: - A slower pace of cuts. - Decisions staying data-dependent on a meeting-by-meeting basis. 3️⃣ What’s Next? Markets see a 90% chance of a cut this week, but no cut in January. Goldman forecasts additional cuts in March, June, and September, with rates reaching 3.5%-3.75% by late 2025. They also highlight a unique risk: potential policy changes under a second Trump administration could make rate paths less predictable. Source: Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg

What Does It Take to Succeed in Asset Management? We led a trading simulation at Pacific Asset Management’s recent event for university students and graduates exploring careers in asset management. The event was held in collaboration with GAIN UK, whose mission is to inspire and empower the next generation of female and non-binary investment professionals through learning, career development, and networking opportunities. ▶ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Through an AmplifyME simulated trading session led by Andrew Osayemi, attendees stepped into the role of asset managers, gaining hands-on experience in decision-making and market dynamics. ▶ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 Participants also had the chance to meet Pacific Asset Management employees, who shared their career stories and provided valuable advice for navigating the industry. Thank you to Pacific Asset Management for hosting and to GAIN UK for collaborating on such an impactful event. Together, we’re supporting the future of asset management! #careers #assetmanagement #Finance #networking

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲? Last week, we hosted two virtual events on driving student employability, featuring Morgan Stanley’s VP of Campus Recruitment, Lizzie Weeks, for European universities and Evercore’s Head of US Campus Recruiting, Chelsea Herritt, for American universities. We explored key challenges facing careers and faculty, including: ▶ Connecting students with roles that fit their skills ▶ Helping students market themselves effectively ▶ Addressing gaps in work experience and technical skills Lizzie Weeks and Chelsea Herritt shared advice for students: 💡 Showcase all experiences: volunteering, jobs, or hobbies show you're well-rounded beyond academics. 💡 Demonstrate genuine interest: Research the company’s history, culture, and risk appetite to show motivation and effort. 💡 Be proactive: Join societies to demonstrate your passion to learn more. A holistic approach is vital to bridging the gap between education and industry. We’re excited to continue this mission through the second semester of our 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 in the 2025 spring term, offering immersive simulations to help students build practical skills and explore careers. #Universities #Education #Finance #Careers

Championing Social Mobility with upReach AmplifyME partnered once again with upReach to deliver an Introduction to Markets simulation, providing students from less-advantaged backgrounds a hands-on introduction to finance through our immersive simulation. ▶ Students explored the role of Asset Managers, buying and selling securities, responding to client needs, analysing economic trends, and navigating market sentiment to make informed decisions. ☁️ "𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺." ☁️ "𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥." ☁️ "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘔𝘌 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨." upReach empowers students by providing access to transformative learning opportunities and career support, helping them unlock their full potential. We’re proud to collaborate with them in shaping the next generation of talent. #finance #education #socialmobility

💃 Chicken Wing and Shakira-Backed Debt Floods Wall Street Wall Street is seeing a surge in structured finance, complex investments tied to unconventional revenue streams like chicken wing sales, music royalties (e.g., Shakira), and data centers. This market hit $380 billion in 2024, the highest since before the 2008 crisis. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐦? 1️⃣ Investors want higher returns than traditional bonds offer 2️⃣ Insurers need income-producing investments for retirees 3️⃣ Banks profit from selling these deals, which are more lucrative than standard bonds 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬: Some worry investors aren’t vetting risks carefully, but experts say the market is too small to trigger a crisis. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Structured finance is thriving, with high demand even for riskier slices of these deals, reflecting strong investor appetite and market confidence. Source: FT #Finance #Investing