Global M&A activity surges to record high for third straight month

Global mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity hit a record high for the third straight month in May, driven mainly by low interest rates, soaring equities and higher dealmaking interest in sectors that have received a boost from the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
According to Refinitiv data, the total value of pending and completed deals announced from the January-May period touch­ed $2.4 trillion, an all-time record. Last month, $532.9 billion worth of deals were recorded, the highest for the month of May.
 
During the five months, 428 deals worth over $1 billion were struck, compared to 131 during the same period last year.
 
The surge in deals comes as more companies look to deploy massive war-chests as they focus on expanding their businesses, and as major economies across the world are resuming normal business after ramping up vaccination efforts.
 

The US witnessed $1.3 trillion worth of M&A activity this year, while Europe and the Asia-Pacific saw $411 billion and $387 billion, respectively. "Following a period of uncertainty, many businesses and executives are looking at ways to fast track expansion, maturing quickly by merging with companies that have complementary capabilities," said Paul Roberts, chief executive officer at ad-tech firm Kubient.