Global mergers and acquisitions volume hits record in 2015
Volume of mergers and acquisitions worldwide set a new record in 2015 at more than $5 trillion
LONDON: (AFP) - The volume of mergers and acquisitions worldwide set a new record in 2015 at more than $5 trillion, with tie-ups in the healthcare sector leading the way, consultants Dealogic said Tuesday.
The $5.03 trillion annual total represents a massive rise of 37 percent from 2014, Dealogic said, and the three months to December scored the highest figure for any single quarter on record.
Pfizer s proposed $160 billion merger with Allergan to create the world s biggest pharmaceutical group, announced last month, is the second-biggest tie-up ever, and the largest ever in healthcare.
The two companies estimated their merger will deliver more than $2 billion in operational synergies over the first three years after closing.
Thanks to that operation, the healthcare sector chalked up the largest share of 2015 merger and acquisitions volume with $724 billion, followed by technology, $713 billion, and real estate, $458 billion, Dealogic said.
The year s second-largest deal was the $117.4 billion bid by top global brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev for its closest rival SABMiller, also announced in November.
The blockbuster transaction will bring together InBev s top lagers like Beck s, Budweiser and Stella Artois with SABMiller brands Foster s, Grolsch and Peroni.
Belgian-Brazilian behemoth InBev is eager to tap into booming developing markets in Africa and China, where SABMiller s joint venture produces Snow -- the world s best-selling beer by volume.
Dealogic said the year s top two operations are among only eight mergers in history topping $100 billion.
The third-largest deal was a $81.5 billion tie-up between Royal Dutch Shell and BG Group, flagged in April. The deal is aimed at helping Shell boost its weakening output thanks to BG s strong position in liquefied natural gas (LNG), a cleaner alternative to coal and nuclear energy.
This year was marked by particularly large mergers. There were 69 deals in 2015 exceeding $10 billion, more than double last year s level and also a new record.
Mega deals of $50 billion or more accounted for nearly one in six of all the year s deals -- a share for heavyweights never seen before.
This year s total was more than double that seen in 2009, the year following the outbreak of the global financial crisis.
Goldman Sachs was the world s leading advisor for mergers and acquisitions this year, followed by Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan, Dealogic said.
