Publication & Surveys

The IBR 2011 Food & Beverage (F&B) thought leadership report Managing through uncertainty offers insight on the global F&B industry including

expectations for revenue, profitability and employment, growth constraints and access to finance. It also offers perspectives on looks at issues ​identified by Grant Thornton experts around the world and highlights the following trends and their impact on businesses in the sector:

• mergers, acquisitions and divestitures
• regulatory compliance
• innovation and quality
• country-specific changes
• productivity improvement and operating-cost reductions

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We have witnessed a large  amount of political and economic turmoil over the past 12 months, from uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa to the tsunami in Japan and the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone. Resulting volatility in commodity prices, disruptions to supply chains and general uncertainty has impacted businesses across the globe, slowing the recovery in both mature and emerging markets.

Drawing on more than 13,000 interviews in 39 economies, this report explores the trends that will shape the speed and trajectory of the recovery over the next 12 months, including demand, employment, investment, inflation and access to finance.

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At Grant Thornton we recognise that owners of privately held businesses seek to transfer ownership, either because they have reached a critical stage of the business cycle or as their personal ambitions develop.

Our "Succeeding at succession" series addresses the issues that we know privately held business leaders face when considering the future success and legacy of their companies. It describes the key planning areas for a successful business progression, from establishing the value of your company, establishing your goals and objectives, selecting an appropriate structure for succession to minimising taxes. 

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Grant Thornton International's Global Private Equity Report 2011 is now available.
The report  is based on the survey of approximately 150 private equity firms on a global basis, surveying their key decision makers on:

Investment activity
Portfolio
Exit activity
Fundraising
Overall market outlook

The results have been collated and analysed on a global and regional basis, covering the following regions/groupings:

Global picture
Western Europe
North America
Asia Pacific
MENA (Middle East and North Africa - including Turkey)
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa)

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Businesses remain focused on the merits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in terms of building brand, securing key staff and winning future contracts. Globally, more than half of businesses cite public attitudes/brand building and recruitment/retention of staff as the key drivers (alongside cost management) this year, highlighting the importance of public opinion in shaping businesses' CSR priorities.
Businesses in northern Europe and Africa, together with North America and the Asia-Pacific region lead the way in initiating socially responsible practices. However, much of mainland Europe, and some of the fastest growing economies in the world such as Brazil, India, Russia and Turkey are lagging behind on this measure.
Relatively few businesses globally currently report on their CSR activity, although the practice is more widespread in emerging economies. Meanwhile, businesses are divided as to whether integrating the reporting of non-financials, such as CSR, with financials should be regarded as best practice.

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Backed by stronger credit and equity markets going into 2011, privately held businesses (PHBs) show renewed confidence about their M&A plans as the global economy gradually emerges from the downturn. Grant Thornton International, through its International Business Report (IBR), has been surveying the views of PHBs for 19 years. Its latest study, conducted in December 2010, reveals that 34 per cent of the 6000 respondents across 39 economies are planning acquisitions, an increase of eight percentage points on last year. At a time of improving economic and financing conditions, PHBs are again looking towards acquisitions as they shift their mind-set from survival to strategic growth.

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