The number of sizeable deals across all sectors increased at a rapid pace in the last five years, and 2015 was a record-breaking year for acquisitions. According to Dealogic, global M&A volume reached $5.05 trillion, surpassing the 2007 record of $4.6 trillion. The data firm reports that nearly half of the 2015 activity targeted US-based companies, while Europe accounted for a third, followed by the Asia Pacific region with approximately a quarter of the total value. In the UK, total M&A deals reached $621 billion, the highest recorded since the $826 billion seen in 2000, although experts predict a possible surge on the back of a weakening Sterling Pound caused by Brexit.
Today, as we enter the third quarter of 2016, the election cycle, terrorism, and tightening regulations have so far pushed withdrawn M&A volume to a record high in the US, particularly with the withdrawal of five jumbo deals—including Allergan and Pfizer, the biggest on record to date. While 2016 activity is said to have fallen to its lowest year-to-date level in 21 years, major deals such as Sherwin-Williams, Marriott, Fortis, Tyco, TransCanada, and Shire, have nonetheless managed to leave their mark on this otherwise rapidly deflating M&A landscape.
