Jahanara Nissar

Global Mergers and Acquisitions Rise in Early 2021

As managing partner with Lynx Equity Strategies in New York, Jahanara Nissar draws on a background at AllianceBernstein delivering measurable portfolio management solutions. With a focus spanning areas of technology from semiconductors to Internet stocks, Jahanara Nissar maintains a close watch on market trends.

As reported by CNN Business, the first quarter of 2021 was characterized by an intense flurry of global dealmaking, with announced mergers and acquisitions totaling $1.3 trillion. This represents a year-on-year increase of 94 percent and stands out as one of the strongest year-opening periods for M&A since record keeping began four decades ago.

Driving this transactional activity was the tech sector, which tripled in deal value from first quarter 2020 to $274 billion. Another major factor was mergers with “blank check” SPACs (special-purpose acquisition companies). These seek out growth takeover targets and represent an alternative to the traditional, public disclosure-intensive IPO. From January to March, a total of 110 SPAC combinations generated $232 billion in transactional momentum.

Among the biggest winners of all this activity were the investment banks that organize and execute these complex deals. Investment banking fees worldwide were estimated to have exceeded $39 billion, the strongest performance since 2000. Looking toward the second quarter, major deals have continued to move through the pipeline. These range from Microsoft’s $16 billion acquisition of Nuance, an artificial intelligence developer, to Southeast Asia food delivery and ride-hailing service Grab’s $40 billion merger with a US SPAC-backed company.

Selecting a Shoe for Distance Running

Having held executive responsibilities as equities desk analyst with AllianceBernstein, Jahanara Nissar is a New York financial professional who guides the boutique firm Lynx Equity Strategies as managing partner. An avid runner, Jahanara Nissar has taken part in a number of distance events, from the Brooklyn Half Marathon to the Marine Corps Marathon.

One critical aspect of running for distance, beyond physical conditioning, is selecting the right shoe. Rather than focusing on design, color, or brand, it makes sense to closely assess function, fit, and comfort. Remember, any small area of tightness, friction, or irritation will be magnified many times when out on an extended run.

Visiting a brick-and-mortar retail location is essential when running shoe shopping, as you need to be able to try on a number of pairs and select the one that feels right. To get a sense of whether an issue exists, do not simply walk in the shoe, but jog in place a bit, evaluating how the shoe responds to simulated running conditions. The shoe should be tight enough to provide support without constricting. Make sure that there is a thumb-space between the toe box and the toe, to avoid sore toes and injured toenails.

Runner-specific stores will often have a camera and treadmill set-up, which allows for a recording of the legs and feet in motion. This provides gait analysis, with a focus on pronation, or the way the foot rolls with each strike on the ground, as well as the corresponding angle of the lower leg. Those who pronate tend to roll the foot/heel inward with every stride, while those who supinate have the opposite tendency. Having a clear picture of the gait helps point to a shoe that will compensate for these repetitive movements.

Booth School of Business – Full-Time and Part-Time MBAs

With more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, Jahanara Nissar has established herself as an investment professional with knowledge of equities markets and business management. . In addition to her work experience, Jahanara Nissar obtained an MBA in finance and strategic management from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

The Booth School of Business offers various MBA programs catering to full-time and part-time students. The duration of the full-time program is 21 months, whereas part-time programs can take up to three years. Both modes of study enable students to choose their MBA concentrations, designing their curriculum accordingly. There are 13 available concentrations including accounting, finance, international business, and economics. In addition to coursework, MBA students must complete qualified work experience such as internships. The employment rate for Booth MBA students exceeds 95 percent, with graduates accepting job offers within three months of graduation.

Three Facts about Broadway Theater

Theater stage green curtains Premium Photo

A managing partner at Lynx Equity Strategies in New York, Jahanara Nissar previously worked with AllianceBernstein. Frequently quoted in StreetInsider, Economic Times, and Bloomberg, Jahanara Nissar enjoys attending Broadway theater in her free time.

One of the most iconic sections in New York, the Broadway theater district takes its name from the longest street in the city at 16 miles. Not all of Broadway’s 41 theaters lie on that street, however – in fact, only four do. Here are three other interesting facts you may not know:

1. Qualification for being a Broadway theater means having a seating capacity of 500 or greater. Theaters with only 100-499 seats qualify as off-Broadway. Smaller theaters in the district are known as off-off-Broadway.

2. The longest running Broadway show, Phantom of the Opera, has had approximately 11,400 performances since its launch in 1988. Chicago takes second place with 7,700 performances and a 1996 opening.

3. Many believe that ghosts haunt Broadway theaters such as the Palace Theatre, which boasts nearly 100 reported spirits. These include acrobat Louis Bossalina and actress Judy Garland, both of whom performed at the theater.

The Difference Between Broadway and Off-Broadway

Jahanara Nissar is a managing partner at Lynx Equity Strategies. Residing in New York City, Jahanara Nissar is a fan of Broadway plays and theater in general.

While Broadway can refer to both the theater and a street in Manhattan, most Broadway theaters are not located on Broadway Boulevard. While it was more common before the 20th century for Broadway shows to be located on Broadway Boulevard, currently, only 3 out of 41 theaters can be found on the titular street. Broadway Theaters all have at least 500 seats. Any theater with less than 500 seats but more than 100 seats is considered Off-Broadway. A third category, Off-Off-Broadway theaters are any venue in Manhattan’s theater district that seat less than 100 people.

The different types of theaters also house different styles of shows. The Off-Broadway movement began as a rejection of more commercial shows and a push towards a more open and experimental style of production. Currently, there are a number of different types of shows offered on both Broadway and Off-Broadway including musicals, plays, performance works, and comedies.