German M&A outlook clouded by growing economic challenges

Slowing pace: A worker stands next to rotor hubs of wind turbines in a German factory. The country’s industrial production fell unexpectedly in November, the sixth monthly decline in a row. — AFP

A backlog of incomplete deals and an uncertain economic outlook mean German dealmakers are predicting a quiet first quarter (1Q) and a relative fee famine until 2025 in Europe’s biggest economy.

Financial and legal advisers point to a darker macroeconomic outlook for Germany, which saw four deals totalling US$113mil in the first 10 days of 2024, compared with 45 deals worth US$876mil in the same period last year, Dealogic data shows.