A seller's market set to continue after a big year for M&A

Cross-border activity increases as the economic recovery gains more traction in developed economies

The total value of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was a very buoyant $3.8trillion in 2015. But the latest Grant Thornton IBR data shows that transaction confidence on both buy and sell side has taken a knock because of global economic instability. We have also seen a rise in the proportion of transactions made up of cross-border deals as acquirers seek to use M&A to enter new markets.

In this viewpoint, we explain why those looking at future M&A activity will need to understand sentiment in the M&A market and take a strategic approach before making growth decisions.