Asian firms more confident about making purchases

[SINGAPORE] Asian companies are on the prowl for acquisitions in the region and the West, showing a conviction that had been missing earlier despite prime conditions to spur buying, said top executives at JP Morgan in an exclusive interview.

The huge liquidity in the market, the corporate cash hoard and overwhelming investor support for transactions have been in place for several quarters, said Hernan Cristerna, global head of M&A at the bank.

"Yet, what was missing was confidence," said Mr Cristerna, who was in town during the week of the Formula One race.

The buying window has also cranked wider, given fears now that the markets have shot ahead of fundamental activity.

"What we're seeing perversely is that equity capital markets are priced very aggressively," said Mr Cristerna. "Therefore, one way to bridge that potential gap is looking at M&A activity and transact…