The merger and acquisition (M&A) market is developing rapidly in both quantity and size, participants discussed at a seminar held on July 3 in
By the end of last December, nearly 1,100 M&A transactions valued at USD 16.8 billion had been made, according to statistics of the Planning and Investment Ministry’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).
In the first half of last year alone, there were 46 transactions of USD 626 million. These figures were 32 and 18 transactions and USD 245 million and USD 61 million in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
The trend was driven by competition in the market, the emergence of new business opportunities and the demand for expanding business or changing investment targets, said FIA director Phan Huu Thang.
In the near future, M&A activities will continue to develop and have profound impacts on business modes, significantly contributing to economic restructuring, he said.
The current number of companies having M&A activities is 300,000, which is expected to rise to 500,000 by 2010.-