CARREFOUR LEADS BEST DEALMAKING START SINCE 2001

Dealmaking in France is heating up, with potential deals involving grocer Carrefour SA and technology group Atos SE raising the prospect of a record-breaking start to the year. French companies have already agreed to more than US$7 billion of transactions in 2021, up nearly 300 per cent from a year ago. The volume has been driven by deals including Sanofi's purchase of British biopharmaceutical developer Kymab for as much as US$1.45 billion. The year-to-date figure for French mergers and acquisitions will go through the roof if proposed deals involving Carrefour and Atos, which could total more than US$55 billion, come to pass. Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is exploring a takeover of Carrefour to create a trans-Atlantic retail giant.