M&A deal activity in region this year expected to match 2015 levels

Singapore

2016 HAS been a mixed bag for South-east Asia, with difficult economic conditions presenting themselves alongside new pathways towards growth. Against this backdrop, the region looks likely to finish the year with its mergers and acquisition (M&A) deal numbers on a par with levels seen in 2015, said Merrill Corporation, in collaboration with Mergermarket.

In their newsletter, Southeast Asia M&A: Trends Shaping The Region, they said that the region posted 281 M&A deals worth US$43.8 billion in the first three quarters of this year, suggesting that the full-year data would be similar to last year's when there were 388 deals worth US$47.6 billion.

Also of note is that Singapore is contributing to more than half the region's outbound investment in the first three quarters of this ye…