NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Market Intelligence has released an analysis examining the key strategic trends and opportunities that are expected to drive the M&A narrative through 2025. The newly published report, M&A Outlook: Bright spots, shadows on dealmaking horizon, is part of S&P Global Market Intelligence's Big Picture 2025 Outlook Report Series.  

M&A announcements have showed signs of increasing in 2024 but remain below pre-pandemic levels and are far off 2021's record levels. Achieving new peaks will take time, and major M&A players can set the recovery's pace.

In this new report, S&P Global Market Intelligence experts highlight some of the areas that can help set the pace of the M&A recovery. Private equity firms have been more active and should continue to deploy capital, especially in a lower rate environment. Consolidation in the oil and gas sector is set to resume after a brief pause. Major technology players have helped fuel past M&A booms, but they have remained largely sidelined.  

"There is still plenty of room for growth in the M&A market," said Joe Mantone, one the of the authors of the S&P Global Market Intelligence report. "Lower interest rates and a less restrictive regulatory environment should make the dealmaking environment more conducive."

Key highlights from the report include:

• Private equity has increasingly inked larger deals. This marks a shift after two years of slowing M&A and focusing on smaller transactions, such as corporate carve-outs.
• Antitrust concerns have done little to derail the blockbuster oil and gas mergers. Large deals have pushed North American oil and gas M&A transactions to record levels and regulators have yet to stop a $1 billion-plus transaction that has been announced since late 2023.   
• Traditional strategic acquirers have been less active in the technology space and their participation is needed in order for the sector to produce a meaningful M&A recovery. However, the revenue outlook has improved for the industry, and private equity buyout firms are pursuing more deals.

To request a copy of M&A Outlook: Bright spots, shadows on dealmaking horizon, please contact press.mi@spglobal.com

S&P Global Market Intelligence's opinions, quotes, and credit-related and other analyses are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact or recommendation to purchase, hold, or sell any securities or to make any investment decisions, and do not address the suitability of any security.

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SOURCE S&P Global Market Intelligence