Jason Kelly, Bloomberg's New York bureau chief, joins Ed Hammond to talk about the booming M&A market, which passed $150 billion in the first three weeks of the year for the first time since 2000. But despite the strong start, it's not all rosy for some of the world's largest private equity funds as they hunt for takeovers amid soaring equity valuations and fierce competition. The two also look at the latest big activist investor attack on the retailer Lowe's and dig into the news that superstar hedge-funder manager Bill Ackman is laying off staff after another tough year at his Pershing Square Capital Management and will spend less time with investors.

<p>Jason Kelly, Bloomberg's New York bureau chief, joins Ed Hammond to talk about the booming M&amp;A market, which passed $150 billion in the first three weeks of the year for the first time since 2000. But despite the strong start, it's not all rosy for some of the world's largest private equity funds as they hunt for takeovers amid soaring equity valuations and fierce competition. The two also look at the latest big activist investor attack on the retailer Lowe's and dig into the news that superstar hedge-funder manager Bill Ackman is laying off staff after another tough year at his Pershing Square Capital Management and will spend less time with investors.</p>

Bloomberg M&A reporters, joined by outside experts and members of Bloomberg's Deals team, examines the week's biggest deals and highlights M&A trends most under scrutiny by Wall Street. He'll talk to reporters who broke Bloomberg's major scoops and interview investors, executives, lawyers and bankers for an inside peek into what's going on inside corporate boardrooms and what it's like working with the world's largest companies and richest people.

Bloomberg M&A reporter Alex Sherman examines the week's biggest deals and highlights M&A trends most under scrutiny by Wall Street.

Deal of the Week

Rainmakers on Fire

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d58ac1a3-d182-40d7-b343-ae390047eab6/transcript