Inside the Strategy Room
242. Planning for the next wave of M&A
Mar 13, 2025
Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende, senior partners at McKinsey, delve into the M&A landscape, exploring anticipated trends for 2024-2025. They discuss how smaller transactions are on the rise, particularly in tech and finance, and the transformative impact of AI on deal strategies. The conversation highlights the importance of navigating geopolitical risks and the need for a solid cultural fit in acquisitions. They also address the evolving investment and divestment strategies shaping company portfolios amidst economic uncertainties.
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Quick takeaways
- The M&A landscape shows a cautious optimism for 2025, driven by accumulated financial resources and the need for structural solutions.
- AI is transforming M&A strategies by improving due diligence and integration processes, enabling firms to better evaluate potential acquisitions.
Deep dives
Current Trends in M&A Activity
The global M&A landscape experienced a slight recovery in 2024 with a 10% increase in deal-making compared to 2023. Despite this uptick, overall M&A activity remains relatively low compared to historical averages, particularly when normalized against market valuations. In the Americas, political election uncertainties delayed many transactions, resulting in some deals being postponed to early 2025. Meanwhile, Asia saw a shift in focus from traditional markets like China to countries such as Korea and Japan, driven by regulatory changes that encouraged new deal activity.
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