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Last year, global announced M&A volumes approached $5.9 trillion, a record. The activity may continue, but a changing landscape may alter the transaction mix, says Ihsan Essaid, Barclays' Co-Head of Global M&A. In this video, Essaid outlines some of the underlying forces driving this year’s M&A market.
2021 was a record year for M&A activity across the globe, $5.9 trillion of announced global volumes.
We expect M&A activity in 2022 to be driven by some of the same underlying forces that we saw in 2021.
While market participants are taking stock of the current geopolitical climate to evaluate their approach to M&A in the near-term, we expect activity to continue apace.
In some instances, our view is that activity is likely to shift away from strategic-only combinations to “self-help” transactions, and sponsor-led transactions.
Several factors underlie our view that M&A activity in 2022 too will be robust.
CEO and boards continue to exhibit confidence in their underlying business, their earnings and their strategic prospects.
Technological disruption and innovation will also drive M&A activity, as it has in the past few years.
We also believe that the credit markets, equity markets and monetary policy will continue to be constructive.
Technology, Industrials and Healthcare are the sectors that are likely to lead the way in terms of transaction volume, as they have for the last several years.
In 2021, financial sponsors accounted for 29% of the global announced M&A volume.
We believe financial sponsors’ share of the M&A market in 2022 is likely to grow from 2021. This is supported by $2 trillion in dry powder, supportive credit markets, a regulatory environment that generally favors them, and their ability to provide solutions to very complicated problems.
2022 should be a very active year for M&A, and we look forward to advising our clients, helping them achieve their strategic goals.
Ihsan Essaid is Co-Head of Global Mergers & Acquisitions at Barclays, based in New York. He has approximately 30 years of experience in the investment banking industry, principally working across the media and telecom sectors with a particular focus on the wireless, entertainment, satellite, cable and sports sectors. He has also advised and financed companies in the aerospace and defense, financial institutions, technology and consumer sectors. Ihsan’s M&A transaction expertise includes complex transactions for public and private companies, contested situations, board and special committee advisory assignments, carve-outs and more traditional private and private sell-side and buy-side transactions. Prior to joining Barclays, Ihsan was Managing Director and Head of Media Telecom Mergers & Acquisitions at Credit Suisse. Ihsan was previously a partner and Head of Media M&A at Perella Weinberg Partners and prior to that was at Bank of America, most recently as Head of Large Cap Media Coverage. Ihsan started his career after Business School at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette.
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