Make M&A Great Again: The Great Merger Bonanza

Let's chat about what's been going on in the M&A world, post 2024 election. The fun never ends.

So, things have been kinda slow for a couple of years, but it seems that dealmakers are finally getting their mojo back! It's like the market woke up from a long nap and decided to party. But here's the kicker - everyone's wondering what Trump's second term might do to keep the party going - or maybe crash it.

Let me throw some numbers at you. Deal values are up 16% this year, hitting a whopping $3.1 trillion. Pretty cool, right? It's all thanks to those clever central banks getting a handle on inflation and cutting interest rates. It's like they gave companies a shot of espresso - suddenly everyone's feeling brave and ready to make moves.

Oh, and we've seen some big deals that'll make your head spin. Mars (yep, the candy folks) decided to buy Kellanova for $36 billion. I mean, that's a lot of M&Ms! And that's not all - there's been action in banking, tech, you name it.

Now, let's talk about the Trump factor. It's like he's the wild card who's got everyone both excited and nervous. Some folks think he'll be great for business, with tax cuts and fewer rules. But others are worried his tariff talk might stir things up in not-so-great ways. It's like watching a reality show, but with billions of dollars at stake!

And it's not just an American thing. European companies are looking at Trump like: Uh-oh, we better figure out how to deal with this guy. Some are even thinking about buying U.S. businesses to stay in the game. Clever, right?

Oh, and those activist investors? They're the cool kids who suddenly discovered a new hangout. They're pushing for all sorts of M&A moves now, not just boring operational stuff.

Looking ahead to 2025, bankers are pretty pumped. They're dreaming big - we're talking mega-mergers in all sorts of industries. It's like they're kids in a candy store (speaking of which, even Hershey's in the rumor mill!).

But hey, let's not get too carried away. Even with all this excitement, 2024's still been a bit of a slow year overall. Some of the big shots in banking are trying to keep things real. They're like: Guys, chill. We're not going back to the crazy days of 2021 anytime soon.

So there you have it! Things are looking up, but it's not quite time to pop the champagne. We've got Trump back in the mix, a global economy that's still figuring itself out and a whole bunch of "what ifs" floating around. It's gonna be super interesting to see how it all plays out. Pass the M&Ms!

#mergers #mergerarb