PB: Global M&A rockets to nearly $5 trillion in 2021

PITCHBOOK reports:

Global M&A flourished in 2021, as the unprecedented depth, breadth and velocity of the market sent total deal value past $4.9 trillion. The growing number of public companies, which are more acquisitive than their private counterparts, reverses a nearly 20-year trend and bodes well for future M&A activity.

Our 2021 Annual Global M&A Report, sponsored by Liberty GTS, breaks down the trends driving last year’s records and explores the headwinds that might shape the market in the months to come.

Key takeaways

– Economic resurgence paved the way for record activity in both North America and Europe, with aggregate deal value at $2.8 trillion and $1.8 trillion, respectively.

– Healthcare M&A activity continued its multiyear growth trajectory, with the sector’s largest deals underscoring the shift of healthcare IT toward cloud integration.

– Despite the sustained recovery in oil prices, energy dealmaking recovered only modestly, as the industry grappled with factors such as fuel shortages and the global energy transition.

– Tech ended the year at a frenetic pace, with deal value up more than 50% over 2020, yet looming regulatory scrutiny could complicate future dealmaking in the industry.

To download the report – which was sponsored by Liberty GTS – please click here and complete the registration form…