The Pandemic’s Impact on M&A Expectations

B E N C H M A R K I N T E R N AT I O N A L

HOW THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED DEAL MOMENTUM FOR MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

HOW T H E PA NDEMIC AF F EC T ED DEA L MOM ENT UM FOR MERGERS & AC QUI S I T IONS

Benchmark International

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 had a powerful effect on the momentum of M&A, dropping to a five-year low in the first half of the year. In 2019 the average monthly global M&A count – both public and private – came to a total of 335, but in the first two months of 2020 this number dropped to 291. The number dropped again in March-June 2020, falling to just 236 global deals per month.

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Whilst the first half of 2020 saw the number of deals drop dramatically, global M&A recovered in the second half of the year, even overtaking the 2019 average. From July-December 2020 the average monthly global deal count was 379, which was 100 deals more than the Q2 average and a five-year high.

The momentum of the last half of 2020 has carried over into 2021, with the number of deals exceeding the 2018 and 2019 levels.

Benchmark International

THE MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS RECOVERY

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