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Strong M&A Activity Growth Forecast for Asia Pacific Region in Q1 2018

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwired - Nov 30, 2017) -

  • APAC M&A deals predicted to be up 14 percent

  • Growth driven by Southeast Asia, India & North Asia and from the Real Estate, Materials and Consumer & Retail sectors

  • Strengthening global economic demand and supportive fiscal and monetary policy actions are behind dealmaking confidence

The Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor, a predictor of future mergers and acquisitions (M&A) announcements with a proven track record for accuracy, forecasts that the year-over-year (YOY) growth in the number of announced M&A deals in Asia Pacific (APAC) in Q1 2018 is predicted to be up around 14 percent. This growth is expected to be driven by the Real Estate, Materials and Consumer & Retail sectors, according to the report.

All markets in the region are showing increasing volumes of early-stage M&A activity, with the strongest contributions to APAC's growth over the next six months coming from Southeast Asia, India and North Asia (China, Hong Kong and South Korea). Japan recorded its first quarter of increasing early-stage M&A activity since Q4 2016, with the number of early-stage deals rising by 6 percent YOY. Despite the political instability on the Korean peninsula and in Myanmar, for most of the APAC region, strengthening global economic demand and supportive fiscal and monetary policy actions are driving vigorous economic growth and increasing dealmaking confidence.

Worldwide, the number of announced M&A deals in Q1 2018 is expected to increase by around 2 percent compared to Q1 2017. The dealmaking environment is being supported by a combination of a gradual pickup in global economic growth, subdued inflation in advanced and emerging economies, buoyant asset markets and historically low interest rates.

There are risks, however. "The risks to the scenario of steadily increasing M&A activity are twofold: political and financial," said Philip Whitchelo, VP of Strategy & Product Marketing at Intralinks. "Increases in economic nationalism, protectionism and restrictions on global trade and cross-border economic integration all have the potential to negatively affect dealmaking sentiment. With global equity markets at record highs, and almost nine years since the last major trough, a correction that turns into a more serious sell-off could also prove negative for dealmaking confidence," he added.

The Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor's other regional forecasts for the number of announced M&A deals in Q1 2018 are: Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), predicted to be up around 6 percent; Latin America (LATAM), predicted to be up around 3 percent; and North America (NA), predicted to be down around 11 percent, due mainly to an exceptionally strong Q1 2017 comparison period.