From record SPAC IPOs and M&A deal flow to the SEC issuing a variety of pronouncements, last year was one to remember.  

Annual deal value more than doubled 2020’s total to reach all-time high  

Deal value exceeded US$1 trillion in every quarter for the first time in history, in just one example of the record-shattering 2021.  

Logistics, packaging and shipments companies are using M&A to expand their service coverage and future proof.

Heightened interest in medical suppliers, contract research organizations and biotech firms resulted in an impressive year for healthcare dealmaking.

Further developments to Russian foreign investment laws introduce new requirements for investors and simplify regulation in some spheres

A guide to navigating the rules for investing in countries that require foreign direct investment approval

Issuance of leveraged loans and high yield bonds to fund buyouts surged to quarterly highs in 2021 as private equity sponsors raised their investment game

Deal activity in the auto industry has never been higher, as manufacturers look to capitalize on the shift towards electric vehicles  

Despite a spike in energy prices and persistent inflation, year-to-date leveraged loan activity showed substantial gains on 2020 levels  

Global high yield markets paused for breath in Q3 2021, but year-to-date issuance remains ahead of 2020 levels in most regions

After four quarters in a row of exceptionally high PE activity, Q3 2021 has continued the trend, recording the highest value and volume of any third quarter on record  

Despite a drop on the previous quarter, Q3 2021 global M&A value represented the strongest Q3 on Mergermarket record. 

The SPAC phenomenon has spread to Israel, where regulators have laid the foundation for local SPAC IPOs as well  

ESG-linked financing issuance swelled in 2021, with issuers responding to the rapid growth in investor demand for environmental and socially-linked debt issuance

Take private activity reached a decade high in the first half of 2021, fueled by large sums of dry powder and heated competition for assets.

PE is breaking records, notably in the education sector

FPSOs have revolutionized deep-water oil extraction but these technically complex vessels are a fertile ground for uncertainty, spiraling costs and long delays

PE investors stand ready to fund spinoffs of non-core assets as companies refocus for the recovery

Refinancing activity supports a double-digit year-on-year uptick in leveraged loan issuance in the United States and Europe, while mega-deals dominate in the Asia-Pacific region.  

Investors are finding businesses showing resilience

Low interest rates and high levels of liquidity are fueling transformational M&A deals  

Increasing cooperation between global PE players is pushing up price tags  

A brightening macroeconomic outlook and supportive deal environment helped push second-quarter value to a new record.

Automotive and automotive-adjacent M&A sees fourth consecutive quarterly rise in value, supported by strong SPAC interest in electric vehicles

Leveraged finance activity in the healthcare sector made strong gains through Q1 2021 as the pandemic response saw the industry attract steady investor inflows and M&A interest

The number of distressed and liquidation-related M&A deals, especially in the US and UK, has increased year on year as businesses struggle to adapt to their post-pandemic reality.

Tightening liability spreads and the backlog from 2020 have seen European collateralized loan obligations resetting and refinancing at historic levels in 2021

Protection of the public interest remains a priority for the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), and since merger control is directly interconnected with control of foreign investments, including into "strategic" sectors, strengthening control in this sphere inevitably affects the merger con

The most important development at the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is its increased focus on procedural infringements, a trend that has also been visible in other jurisdictions and the EU

The merger unit of the Czech Competition Office (CCO) ranks among the most stable teams at the CCO with accessible and responsive staff, so the more detailed the pre-notification, the faster and smoother the process following official notification will be

Dependable recurring income from digital music rights is attracting major investment from PE funds.

High yield bond and leveraged loan issuance by European industrials, chemicals and materials companies sustained steady activity levels in Q1 2021 as they took advantage of a borrower-friendly market to raise financing

Dealmaking within the PMB sector enjoyed an impressive start as companies across the globe embarked on their post-pandemic recovery.  

Borrowers are taking advantage of buoyant leveraged loan markets in the US and Europe to reprice existing credits at lower interest rates, and lenders are happy to oblige