1323 ET - Lincoln International CEO Robert Brown says the banking advisory firm "saw a material increase in our signed engagement letters," in 1Q. "If our clients are signing us up in 1Q, they're telling their investors, 'We expect to get this done by year end'," Brown says, adding that expectations are emboldened by the number of deals that are moving toward closing. "Obviously with the conflict in the Middle East, there was a little bit of a pause," Brown says, "but as we sit here now in mid-May," Lincoln is seeing growth in both business segments. (maria.armental@wsj.com; @mjarmental)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 20, 2026 13:23 ET (17:23 GMT)

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