Mergers & Acquisitions in Pandemic

Difficulties with face-to-face contact, shrinking access to credit and volatility of markets have all put the brakes on M&A activity.

Compared to 2019, USA annualised M&A value 2020 is down by half. In Australia, using similar but not identical criteria, number of transactions has decreased by 28% but individual value is higher.

However, a significant number of participants and potential participants interviewed by the Harvard Business Review in the first half of 2020 indicated the crisis, in their opinion, presented unique and favourable opportunities.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/04/03/ma-activity-plunges-it-could-get-much-worse-as-coronavirus-hits-markets-and-prevents-face-to-face-meetings/#220a6fed62f4

https://www.hlb.com.au/media/2019/10/2020-MA-Q1-Report.pdf