Outlook strong for Aussie M&A

In its third annual Asia Pacific M&A Review, global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills said the outlook for mergers and acquisitions in Australia will remain strong throughout 2016.

“Factors driving M&A activity in 2016 will be the significant pools of foreign capital now available to deploy and the increasing levels of confidence fostered by the success of various mega deals in 2015," it said.

“The majority of activity is expected to come from the resources and financial services sectors."

In 2015, Australian M&A increased by over 200 per cent in terms of the value of announced transactions compared to 2014.

“Last year was big for Asia Pacific M&A, with sustained activity levels throughout the year – particularly in Australia, China, Hong Kong and South Korea – and a number of multi-billion mega deals helping to push the total value of announced deals to over US$1 trillion," Andrew Pike, Herbert Smith Freehills' head of corporate for Australia, said. 

Across the Asia Pacific, financial services, property, energy and resources sectors are expected to create “significant deal flow” throughout the year. The uptake in new technologies is also set to increase profitability for technology suppliers and lead to a new wave of IPOs, the law firm noted.

Herbert Smith Freehills' head of corporate for Asia, Austin Sweeney, said despite the challenges in equity markets and low commodity prices, deal-makers in the region have “much to look forward to”.

[Related: KPMG issues M&A predictions]