Dealmakers are having a record-breaking year.
So far in 2021, global mergers and acquisitions have totaled a record $2.4 trillion, up 158 percent from the same period last year, Fortune reports, citing a new Refinitiv Deals Intelligence report. That marks the highest year-to-date total going back to 1980 when Refinitiv’s records began (the first quarter was also a banner few months for M&A).
“As the surging stock market continues to drive confidence, and interest rates remain at record lows making borrowing for acquisitions cheap, dealmaking continues at pace,” Lucille Jones, a Deals Intelligence analyst at Refinitiv, wrote alongside the report.
Though deals in May totaled slightly less than those in April, they still topped $500 billion globally (at nearly $533 billion) for the third consecutive month (see Refinitiv’s chart below), and notched the highest-ever May total. Read more.
