M&A activity expected to pick up in 2024; digital infrastructure, renewables to fuel growth

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Yong Hui Ting

Published Mon, Jan 1, 2024 · 05:00 AM

After more than a year of leaning back and sheltering from the storm, market watchers believe investors could be on the active lookout for opportunities again. PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI, ST
John Lin, director of investment banking at Bank of America, believes a more stable rate environment and potentially loosening of policies in the second half of 2024 will likely catalyse a prompt return to form in the M&A market. PHOTO: BANK OF AMERICA
Johannes Roth, JPMorgan’s head of South-east Asia M&A, expects telecommunications tower companies and data centres to remain attractive to investors. PHOTO: JPMORGAN

MARKET watchers are optimistic that merger and acquisition (M&A) activity will pick up this year, as the economic environment stabilises after the whirlwind of volatility in 2023.

For one thing, interest rates are starting to show signs of normalising and could come down earlier than expected, after the US Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate steady at its last Federal Open Market Committee meeting in December and hinted at three rate cuts in 2024.

After more than a year of leaning back and sheltering from the storm, market watchers believe investors could be on the active lookout for opportunities again.

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M&A Outlook 2024 Spotlight

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