The Law Gazette reported that European M&A activity declined more than the global average with a fall of 28% whereas worldwide the decline was 13%. City Firms especially are now counting on a recovery of M&A activity being driven by private equity along with a search for security. In 2023, prices became a primary obstacle as sellers did not want to accept the prices potential buyers were requesting. Even the major strategic buyers were sitting on the sidelines and prioritising profitability rather than growth through acquisitions. Capital IQ data shows that Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, and Salesforce made only 4 acquisitions between them in 2023, comparing this to 2022 where 18 were made. 4 LAWYER MONTHLY MARCH 2024 Will M&A Make A Recovery in 2024? A busy year for M&A is expected In 2023, M&A activity took place on the sidelines as we saw the lowest value and number of transactions since 2013. The value of M&A transactions decreased in value by 17% to 2.9 trillion making it the slowest fullyear period for deal-making for a decade. There were over 55,200 deals made in 2023 which is a decrease of 6% compared to previous years and was a part of a 3-year low. Written By Courtney Evans Financial services are back to prioritising deal-making again in 2024 after the rising inflations and economic uncertainty of the past year.
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