Global dealmaking activity had its strongest start to the year in four decades, The Financial Times reports, fueled by a flurry of US acquisitions and SPAC mergers, even as the global economy reels from the impact of lockdowns and coronavirus restrictions.
Deals worth $1.3 trillion were reported in the three months to March 30, more than any first quarter since at least 1980 and topping even the heady levels of the dotcom boom at the turn of the millennium, according to figures from Refinitiv. The data underscore the scale of the rebound in dealmaking activity after it plummeted a year ago in the early days of the pandemic. US-based deals were responsible for much of the frenzy, increasing 160 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2020. Read more.
