In the first five months of the year, the volume and value of mergers and acquisitions has already blown past 2020’s 586 deals at $36.2 billion during the same period, and is closing in on the 2019 high of 787 deals valued at a total $94.9 billion, according to FP Data.
The pandemic brought M&A to a near halt in the spring of 2020. Many businesses put plans on hold, wary of travel restrictions, office closures and an impending economic downturn. By the fall, with some businesses thriving in the work-from-home environment and plans for a vaccination campaign falling into place, the dealmaking began to accelerate again.That has carried over into 2021, with megadeals fuelling the rebound in Canada.
“If financing continues to remain readily available and markets are strong, then this will continue through the balance of the year and, given the pipeline of deals that we have in the office, I would expect we’ll finish off the year as a very strong one for M&A.”
Fire sales after destroying many businesses via preferential treatment of large multinationals.