Deal of the Week

Accusations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein haven’t just rocked Hollywood – they’ve also led to the potential destruction of his company, Weinstein Co. The privately-held independent film and TV studio is in talks to sell itself to Colony Capital, the private equity arm of Colony NorthStar, run by billionaire Thomas Barrack. News of an immediate sale after a crisis is rare, but Weinstein Co.’s corporate governance structure and small size leave it vulnerable, says Larry Hutcher, co-founder and co-managing partner at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron. Bloomberg entertainment reporter Anousha Sakoui also tells host Alex Sherman about Weinstein Co.’s recent box-office failures and traces the company’s history, from Miramax to today.

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Nine months of Donald Trump’s presidency hasn’t revealed much on his administration’s antitrust attitudes. While AT&T’s deal for Time Warner appears on pace to close this year, a Sprint and T-Mobile tie-up would serve as a true barometer for how Trump’s antitrust decision makers view competition. The administration’s take on that deal, if it’s announced later this month, could pave the way for future megadeals or chill other attempts. John Oliver railed against corporate consolidation on a recent episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight. Kevin Carty, a reporter-researcher with The Open Markets Institute, echoes Oliver’s concerns to host Alex Sherman and specifically explains why Sprint and T-Mobile shouldn’t be allowed to merge.

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Need a break from politics? Relax and have a Twinkie with Hostess Brands CEO Bill Toler, who stops by Deal of the Week to explain why his company went public again. Hostess almost liquidated in 2012, sparking a brief consumer panic that Ho Hos and Ding Dongs would go the way of the Dodo. But Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. acquired the company for $410 million in 2013, saving the brands. Earlier this year, they agreed with the Gores Group, a special purpose acquisition company, to take Hostess public. Now that Hostess is trading under the ticker TWNK, Toler explains to host Alex Sherman how the new company is different from the past -- even if the brands remain the same.

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The numbers speak for themselves. So far this year, just 70 companies sold shares to the public for the first time. That's half the pace of last year and a fraction of the 213 IPOs during the same period in 2014. Why are companies staying private longer, or selling themselves, instead of going public? Does 2017 herald a revival of the IPO market, or should we expect more of the same? Bloomberg IPO reporter Alex Barinka explains to host Alex Sherman why companies decide to go public and what's on tap for next year.

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Cate Ambrose, president of the Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association, is bullish on private investments in nations including Mexico and Brazil. Still, she's seeing the largest global private equity firms hold on to investments for longer, aiming to boost returns as Latin American currencies slide against the dollar. Deal of the Week host Alex Sherman also chats with Bloomberg M&A reporter Matt Monks, who broke the news that Intercontinental Exchange and CME Group are both interested in challenging Deutsche Boerse's offer to buy London Stock Exchange Group, a move that may prompt a bidding war for the U.K. exchange.

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