1310 ET - Lincoln International's market debut, which valued the investment bank at more than $2 billion, shows Main Street investors' appetite for alternatives. The Chicago banking advisory firm, one of the largest sell-side advisers to private equity firms, is seeing tailwinds in its two business segments: M&A deal flow is picking up as private equity's investment backlog melts and demand is rising for greater valuation transparency fueled by new retail money. "Part of it is driven by redemptions, part of it is driven by investors' feeling like we need to provide more transparency," CEO Robert Brown says. "We think it's a trend that's really only traveling one way." Lincoln's stock priced at $20 and is currently trading at $22.52 or up nearly 13%. (maria.armental@wsj.com; @mjarmental)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 20, 2026 13:11 ET (17:11 GMT)
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