This
week we published a wide-ranging report on the M&A sector in
emerging Europe. This is an annual report that is produced in
association with CMS, a firm that acted as legal adviser in the most
number of deals in the region in 2015.
Globally,
2015 saw record levels of activity in the M&A sector but that
was not reflected in emerging Europe where a number of political and
economic shocks resulted in an overall decline in the number and value
of deals recorded. The biggest factor in this downward curve is the
turbulence around Russia where the ongoing situation with Ukraine, the
ensuing sanctions and the collapse in oil prices all acted as a brake
on M&A activity.
There
are reasons for optimism however. Private equity transactions grew
across the region in 2015, driven largely by UK and US investors. 2015
was also a much improved year for the commercial real estate sector
across Central and Eastern Europe. We believe that a strengthening
dollar is likely to lead to greater US investment in emerging Europe in
the coming year and that greater investment appetite from China will
help to reverse the current trend. Overall we foresee a healthy outlook
in M&A terms for Romania, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia in 2016
while activity in Turkey may also pick up.
The
full Emerging Europe M&A Report 2015/16 is available to
download free here.
Below
are some excerpts from the report that focus on countries with mixed
prospects and results.
Best
wishes,
Guy Dunn
Chief Executive Officer
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