Skip navigation
Masters of the Corporate Portfolio
Report

Masters of the Corporate Portfolio

The 2016 M&A Report


Read offline

auto-generated audio
auto-generated audio

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

With global mergers and acquisitions activity down in the first half of 2016, some investors are concerned about whether the pause is temporary or the start of a long-term decline. The Brexit vote, volatility and strengthened regulations add uncertainty to the future. Yet slow growth and low interest rates continue to provide incentives for deal making. This revealing analysis from the Boston Consulting Group affirms that M&A transactions can create substantial value, and it provides insights on how some companies generate better shareholder rewards through M&A than others, regardless of economic and business conditions. getAbstract recommends this report to corporate executives and investors looking to gauge the M&A market in 2016 and into 2017.

Summary

Across the globe and in nearly all business sectors, 2015 was a banner year for mergers and acquisitions. Activity reached the heights attained in the years preceding the financial crisis, 1999 through 2007. But global M&A transactions fell by 27% in the first half of 2016 from the comparable period in 2015. Although 2016 M&A levels are at “ten-year averages,” Brexit, stock market volatility and a regulatory clampdown on companies going overseas to avoid taxes – for example, the thwarted Pfizer-Allergan merger – create market doubt...

About the Authors

Jens Kengelbach, Georg Keienburg and Timo Schmid are professionals with the Boston Consulting Group. Sönke Sievers is an academic at Paderborn University, Germany, where Oliver Mehring is a research assistant.