Thursday, November 08, 2007

M&A Outlook 2008: Cross-border bonanza

November 7 - Dealscape Blog (The Deal) - Mohr offered some color on trends. This year, she said, really represents the high-water mark of where M&A is globally. Overseas is where the growth lies. In 2007 to date, she said 45% of global M&A has been cross-border. It should be somewhere in the high 40% range by the end of the year. While Europe and U.S. have historically driven this, growth in the rest of the world has almost doubled over recent years. In the second quarter of 2007, there was $800 billion in global M&A volume. In the third quarter, it dropped to $400 million. The fallout largely came from the U.S. and Europe, she said, while volume from the rest of the world was essentially flat. The role of emerging markets and their companion sovereign wealth funds are driving a lot of this. Sectors where activity is hot include: financial services, energy and power, and industrials.

For buyers looking to the U.S., the current climate may make M&A prospects more attractive. Because of the credit crunch and the depressed U.S. dollar, cross-border strategics may see this as a good time to invest in the U.S., Hartman said. Read More.

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