Stout
Independent advisory firm combining transaction, accounting, valuation and strategy capabilities for integrations, separations and complex carve-outs.
- Highest 2026 tier: Tier I
- Independent global advisory firm
- 3 Advisory Ranking categories
Overview
Stout provides transaction advisory, accounting and reporting advisory, valuation, strategy, investment banking and disputes services. Its integration and separation relevance includes carve-out readiness, standalone financial information, TSA planning and post-close execution.
The firm can connect operational separation questions with financial reporting, cost analysis, valuation and transaction considerations. This breadth is useful where a carve-out must satisfy both business-continuity and technical finance requirements.
Stout is included in 3 2026 Advisory Ranking categories. The highest recorded classification is Tier I.
Firm facts
| Legal name | Stout Risius Ross, LLC |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Firm type | Independent global advisory firm |
| Principal offices | Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London |
| Primary focus | Transaction, accounting and carve-out advisory |
| Chief Executive Officer | Craige Stout |
| Highest 2026 Advisory Ranking tier | Tier I |
Principal activities
Integration management
Governance, workstream coordination, Day 1 readiness, 100-day planning and synergy tracking.
Separation and carve-outs
Separation planning, standalone readiness, transition-service management and stranded-cost coordination.
Value realization
Operating-model alignment, functional execution, change management and post-close performance support.
Stout works with clients on assignments that may combine strategy, specialist analysis, implementation support and organizational adoption. The precise scope depends on the mandate, sector, geography and client requirements.
Sector and mandate coverage
Sector coverage
- Private equity portfolio companies
- Business services
- Consumer
- Healthcare
- Industrials
- Technology
Transaction and mandate types
- Integration management office
- Separation management office
- Day 1 readiness
- Carve-outs
- TSA planning and exit
- Synergy realization
Market position
Stout is positioned as a independent global advisory firm. Its relevance reflects direct involvement in transaction execution, senior practitioner access, functional depth and the ability to support management teams through compressed transition timetables.
Distinctive focus: Technical finance and transaction capabilities supporting complex standalone and carve-out execution.
Competitive context
Stout competes with integration specialists, transaction-execution boutiques, operations consultancies and independent transformation advisers. The relevant peer set varies by deal size, sector, geographic scope and whether the mandate centers on integration, separation, technology, finance or operating performance.
Comparable firms are selected according to overlap in business model, client segment, service coverage, geographic activity and mandate profile. Inclusion does not imply equivalence in scale, ranking or market position.
Leadership
| Person | Current position | Institutional background |
|---|---|---|
| Craige Stout | Chief Executive Officer | Firm strategy, valuation and transaction advisory |
| Stuart Ferguson | President, Strategy | Strategy and transaction-related execution |
Leadership information reflects the public sources reviewed for this profile. View the firm’s website ↗
Corporate and regulatory information
Stout provides consulting or advisory services. Public information reviewed does not identify a single group-wide regulated-securities registration applicable to its integration and separation consulting work.
View registered-entity details
| Principal entity | Stout Risius Ross, LLC |
| Regulatory status | Consulting or advisory services |
| Headquarters | Chicago |
| Primary jurisdiction | United States |
Principal offices
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Detroit
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Washington, D.C.
- London
Rankings and recognition
Ranking inclusion is editorially determined. The existence or maintenance of a Wiki profile does not influence ranking eligibility, tier or position.
Related Economy analysis
Selected Economy Markets articles providing context for the firm’s advisory environment:
- The Silent Reshuffle of the Advisory Market
- How AI Is Reshaping the Consulting Industry in 2026
- Middle-Market Private Equity: Returns, Scale and Manager Selection
- Private Equity Technology Due Diligence in the AI Era
Related institutions and subjects
Sources and data transparency
The profile is based on the following publicly available institutional, regulatory and editorial sources:
- Transaction Advisory — integration, separation and transaction-execution capabilities.
- Stout — firm overview, services and institutional information.
- Advisory Ranking — Top 30 M&A Integration and Separation Advisory 2026 — inclusion and tier classification.
- Advisory Ranking — Top 30 Investigations & Forensic Advisory 2026 — inclusion and tier classification.
- Advisory Ranking — Top 30 Independent Valuation Advisory Boutiques 2026 — inclusion and tier classification.
