Our M&As among most robust in region

MERGER and acquisition (M&A) activity involving Malaysian companies will continue to grow next year and be among the most robust in the region as they pursue strategic acquisitions abroad and consolidate locally, said the head of JP Morgan’s M&A practice in the Asia-Pacific, Todd Marin. 

The Malaysian scene is set against a slowly recovering global M&A trend which appears to have bottomed out. Marin said global M&A activity, which more than halved from a 2000 high – when deals worth US$3.4 trillion were signed – to last year’s US$1.1 trillion, was “stabilising” while improving sentiment, low financing costs and cheap valuations could drive some excitement back into “more of a buyer’s market.”