6 top M&A bankers lay out their dealmaking playbook for 2023 — from getting around a sagging bond market to dealing with skeptical shareholders

• Bankers from Citi, Barclays, RBC, Wells Fargo, Houlihan Lokey, and Union Square Advisors break down the year ahead.
• They predict a rise in deals in the second half, but also a whole new set of hurdles.
• Advisors will need to get creative around financing, and deals may take longer to close, they said.

Dealmaking tumbled in 2022, leading to lower bonuses across Wall Street. For 2023, top dealmakers are predicting a rebound of activity in the second half. Their thinking is that inflation could stabilize by then, leading to a halt of the Fed’s aggressive interest rate hiking and more stability throughout the US economy.