GLOBAL M& As HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2018

New York: Global mergers and acquisitions ( M& A) had their strongest start ever in the Q1 of 2018, totaling $ 1.2 trillion in value, as US tax reform and faster economic growth in Europe unleashed many companies’ dealmaking instincts. Strong equity and debt markets and swelling corporate cash coffers also helped boost the confidence of CEOs, convincing them that now is as good a time as ever to pursue transformative mergers, dealmakers said.

“The clarity on tax has unclogged some of the M& A activity that was strategically imperative, but companies were waiting for the right financial timing,” said Anu Aiyengar, head of North America M& A at JPMorgan Chase & Co. The value of M& A deals globally increased 67 per cent yearonyear in Q1 2018, data showed.