APAC poised to lead the world in M&A growth

Law firms should be busy as experts expect the APAC region to see double-digit growth in announced M&A deals

APAC poised to lead the world in M&A growth
India, Australia, and the whole Southeast Asia region are expected to post the strongest growth in Asia Pacific deal announcements in the first nine months of the year.

The forecast comes from the “Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor” report for global M&A activity for the first three quarters of 2017, which says that the number of announced deals in APAC over the period is expected to grow 13% year-over-year to nearly 13,000 deals.

APAC is predicted to record the highest growth for the period, followed by North America (11%); Latin America (7%); and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (0%).

According to Matt Porzio, Intralinks vice president, the strongest growth in announced deals in APAC is expected to come from the consumer and retail, financials, and healthcare sectors. In the middle of the pack are the materials, industrials, and real estate sectors, while the technology, media, and telecommunications as well as energy and power sectors are expected to cool down.

Philip Whitchelo, Intralinks vice president, said that the notorious clampdown by Chinese authorities on outbound M&A has reduced the number of very large transactions, weighing down aggregate announced deal value. However, the impact is significantly smaller than expected on the number of outbound M&A deals from China, he said.

Nonetheless, India may overtake China in the news cycle in the APAC region after quietly becoming the fastest-growing large economy in 2015, Intralinks said. The International Monetary Fund predicts India’s growth to outpace China between 2016 and 2022.


Related stories:
M&A boom predicted as Australia recovers from metals and mining sector slump
AU among world’s least leaky countries for M&A deals

Recent articles & video

London law firm penalized for lapses in anti-money laundering training for its staff

Report reveals South Korea faces persistent gender gap in the legal profession

Promotions round beefs up Clyde & Co's Australia partnership

Piper Alderman, Holding Redlich recognised in 2025 Best Lawyers Australia

Far West Regional Law Soc roundtable focuses on access to justice

American Bar Association president Mary Smith calls for action as threats against judges surge

Most Read Articles

Nine promoted to partner at HSF's Australia branch

Brisbane BTR project kicks off with Ashurst's help

K&L Gates lures JWS M&A partner

KWM pitches in on $3.5bn raising for Kinetic