6 MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
www.business-review.eu Business Review | September 2021
Global mergers and acquisitions reach historic high in first half of 2021 Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) hit an all-time high globally in the first six months of 2021, with deals worth more than USD 2.6 trillion, up from USD 926 billion in the first half of 2020 and far exceeding the pre-pandemic five-year average (H1 2015-2019) of USD 1.6 trillion, according to recent analysis by EY. By Aurel Constantin
The US and the UK are rising as the most attractive destinations for inbound M&A
M
ore than half of the M&A activity
so far this year according to the analysis, with
The US tops the list of countries with
in H1 2020 was recorded in North
479 such deals announced. And despite many
the highest value of outbound transaction,
America, which saw deals worth
parts of the world economy still operating
having recorded USD 221 billion in deals,
USD 1.4 trillion (up from USD 345 billion in
under restrictions, cross-border transactions
up from USD 77 billion in H1 2020 and more
H1 2020) – almost double the average seen in
have also staged an impressive comeback,
than double the H1 2015-19 average of USD 92
the five years prior to the pandemic (USD 784
increasing to USD 688 billion from USD 236
billion. With USD 58 billion (up from USD 14
billion). North America was followed by the
billion in H1 2020 and going well above the
billion in H1 2020), Canada comes in second,
Asia-Pacific region, which saw M&A values of
average of USD 480 billion recorded in the
while the Netherlands and Ireland emerge
USD 446 billion, a jump from USD 222 billion
five years prior to the covid-19 pandemic.
as outbound M&A front-runners with USD 53 billion from an average of USD 21 billion
in H1 2020 and an increase from an average of USD 317 billion in H1 2015-2019. Europe
between H1 2015-19 and USD 51 billion from
follows, recording USD 412 billion, up from
OPTIMISM IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE
USD 245 billion in H1 2020 and exceeding the
Despite the strong headline figure, M&A is
H1 2015-2019 average of USD 356 billion.
not evenly spread across the globe. When
rising as the most attractive destinations
an average of USD 4.3 billion, respectively. At the same time, the US and the UK are
it comes to outbound and inbound transac-
for inbound M&A. The US has recorded an
deals announced, a spike in billion-dollar
tions, North America and Europe are the
increase of over 250 percent in the value of
deals has been the key driver behind activity
main centres of activity.
inbound transactions compared to H1 2020
Despite a decline in the total number of
