The rise of the cross-border transaction 2013

The appetite for cross-border deals has rocketed by 18% during the past 12 months. This is the key finding from our latest research that looks at attitudes to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) among business leaders worldwide.

As part of our International Business Report we have been keeping track of these figures for the past five years and levels of planned cross-border activity are now 56% higher than when our records began.

Against a backdrop of political and economic instability, many businesses view M&A as a strategic tool to drive growth and build scale.

Mike Hughes, global service line leader for M&A at Grant Thornton, said: “Whilst the overall outlook for M&A remains cautious due to the recent backdrop of the eurozone crisis, the US fiscal cliff and political instability in the Middle East, what many of our M&A teams have been experiencing is the substantial interest and support for corporates of all shapes and sizes to look beyond their own borders for acquisition opportunities.”

Key findings from the report 

• 61% of Spanish business are planning cross-border M&A deals in the coming year
• Demand for this type of activity has increased by 117% in Russia and 81% in China
• Australian respondents show the greatest enthusiasm for domestic acquisitions, with a year-on-year increase of 25% in planned activity