Nearly half (48 per cent) of all UK corporate M&A professionals surveyed by IntraLinks and mergermarket predict economic recovery in Europe by the middle of 2010.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of all UK corporate M&A professionals surveyed by IntraLinks and mergermarket predict economic recovery in Europe by the middle of 2010.
Forty-six percent of respondents were confident they would conduct M&A transactions in the coming year.
Nearly all respondents (94 per cent) expect distressed-driven M&A transactions to increase (82 per cent) or increase greatly (12 per cent) in Europe. In addition, 96 per cent of those surveyed thought the number of corporate restructurings would increase (73 per cent) or increase greatly (23 per cent).
The financial services sector is expected to have the most M&A transactions. Almost half of those surveyed (48 per cent) expect the financial services sector to witness the greatest level of M&A activity over the next 12 months.
The majority (84 per cent) of respondents say the UK is two times more likely than any other European region to experience the most restructurings in the year ahead.
‘Despite past market volatility, this survey suggests room for optimism for the next year. With M&A activity likely to increase, the savviest investors will be those who are able to make key decisions quickly and execute efficiently,’ says Andrew Pearson, managing director EMEA for IntraLinks.
More than two thirds (68 per cent) of survey respondents believe that an online dataroom significantly expedites the due diligence process, and even more (71 per cent) say that taking the process online allows them focus on strategic rather than tactical decisions more quickly.
Conducted in April and May 2009, IntraLinks engaged mergermarket to survey 50 senior M&A practitioners at UK corporations to canvass their opinion on the deal making and general economic environment and their own firm’s M&A strategy in the coming months.
