Inbound monitor
HEADLINES

In H1 2014, inbound M&A into the United States hit a post-crisis high, with 365 deals worth a total US$190.9 billion. This represents a 29 percent increase by volume and a 302 percent rise by value in comparison with the same period in 2013.

Recovering global M&A markets (where deal values hit US$1.6 trillion, a 60 percent increase on H1 2013) combined with a stable US economy and appetite from foreign buyers for assets in the hot pharmaceuticals and TMT sectors have helped to spark the strong inbound deal recovery.
”Global M&A has risen across the board, and that has driven a significant increase in US inbound M&A, especially when compared to last year,” says Dan Latham, White & Case M&A partner. “Although the US economy is not booming, it is stable and has been so for a while. Unemployment and consumer confidence are both heading in the right direction, and a feeling of cautious optimism is returning.”
This appetite for US assets is evident around the world, with bidders from Europe, Asia and the rest of the Americas all pursuing deals. In terms of volumes, firms from the UK, Canada, France and Japan have been the most active foreign buyers in the United States in H1 2014. Inbound deal volumes from each of these countries were also up on their respective figures from the first half of 2013.
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■ US inbound M&A values hit seven-year high in H1 2014 ■ European takeovers in the United States are up more than a third so far in 2014 ■ Chinese acquisitions in the United States reach record high ■ Low costs and strategic opportunities are attracting foreign buyers ■ UK overtakes Canada as most active foreign acquirer in the United States