While deal values and volumes are trending downwards in most regions and sectors, investors are still willing to set political and regulatory uncertainty aside to execute big, strategic transactions when opportunities arise. That suggests that activity should remain relatively robust in the months ahead, despite a more challenging deal environment.

The raw data point clearly to a decline in M&A activity across regions and most sectors in the first half of the year. Cross-border activity and the prevalence of mega-deals are also on a downward trend. Yet the picture is a little less stark than the numbers suggest.

Looking back at deal activity in 2018 within the Irish market, there was a strong appetite for deal making as, while the volume of transactions dipped slightly, the 440 transactions recorded by Experian is at the higher end of the typical annual volume, and the value of transactions hit €92bn, up from €31bn the previous year. This was boosted because of an increase in large and mega-deals, with seven €1bn plus deals announced during 2018, up from six in 2017. However, it was the €52bn acquisition of Dublin-headquartered drug maker, Shire PLC, by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda that dominated the deal landscape.

Not only was this the largest transaction of the year, but it was the biggest corporate takeover in Irish history, in a year characterised by high-value M&A in the global pharmaceuticals space – a trend that looks set to continue into 2019.

Statistics for H2 2018 have shown that the US is a hotspot for deal activity as it has been the recipient of increasing outbound investment, particularly within North West England as, according to Deloitte, nearly 40 per cent of the North West’s transactions involved a US company.

The US’ position as an attractive prospect for investment was highlighted by the A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index’s 2018 report, as it topped the table for FDI for the sixth consecutive year, as well as secured a higher score than the previous year.

It seems as though every other day, the headlines announce a new acquisition among major retailers. The giants in the industry are diversifying their products, sucking up more stock, and building mighty kingdoms that boutique and small business owners can’t even throw stones at. How can these smaller businesses possibly compete? First, take a look at what’s happening…