Building momentum

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions

Through our International Business Report we’ve been keeping track of global figures on the appetites for both domestic and cross-border transactions since 2008.

Based on interviews with 12,000 businesses across the globe, the report found M&A remains a key priority for companies with ambitions to grow and expand. More than a third (34%) of businesses worldwide are planning to grow through mergers and acquisitions

Mike Hughes, global service line leader for M&A said: “Despite the ongoing global economic challenges, the results show that business appetite for M&A has improved markedly over the past 24 months.

“Naturally, domestic M&A remains high on the agendas of business leaders, but the upswing in interest in overseas expansion is encouraging and no doubt reflects the particular market conditions within individual regions globally.”

Other key findings from the report

• 85% of acquisition-minded businesses have ambitions in their own region
• North America, the UK and Ireland and the BRIC economies are most interested in making an acquisition in the next three years
• Access to geographical markets and building scale are the most likely motivation for mergers and acquisitions 

Further information

• Read the global press release
• View the results on our data viz tool
• Contact the global research team