Global Head of M&A Melissa Sawyer spoke with the Financial Times about the recent rise in deal activity and the impact of political uncertainty on market players. Although M&A volume is up compared to the past two years, levels are still below average. “I don’t think we’re seeing a flood of new deals getting announced yet. We’re just rebuilding the pipeline and it’s going to take a few months to get through that,” she noted.
Melissa also offered perspective on the pressures that political uncertainty can bring into the M&A field. “Regulation is still a huge issue, and people are still very worried about it, particularly in an election year in the U.S.” She highlighted that tech and healthcare have been affected more than other sectors, particularly given the FTC’s focus on tech deals.
Read: “Global M&A lurches back to life”