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Q3 2021
Global M&A Report
October 27, 2021
Global M&A deals top $3.4T through Q3 en route to record year
The global economic recovery continued to fuel surging M&A activity in Q3, surpassing 27,000 deals and $3.4 trillion in combined deal value for the year. Despite potential macroeconomic headwinds, global drivers of M&A remain intact, and both Europe and North America are on pace to easily break records in Q4.
Our Q3 Global M&A Report, sponsored by Liberty GTS and RBC Capital Markets, recaps a relentless quarter of dealmaking as the world works out the long-term effects of the pandemic.
Key takeaways
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Table of contents
The global economic recovery continued to fuel surging M&A activity in Q3, surpassing 27,000 deals and $3.4 trillion in combined deal value for the year. Despite potential macroeconomic headwinds, global drivers of M&A remain intact, and both Europe and North America are on pace to easily break records in Q4.
Our Q3 Global M&A Report, sponsored by Liberty GTS and RBC Capital Markets, recaps a relentless quarter of dealmaking as the world works out the long-term effects of the pandemic.
Key takeaways
- Dealmakers in North America remain undeterred by labor shortages and inflationary pressures, closing over 4,600 deals in Q3 worth a combined $708 billion.
- Europe's three largest-ever quarters for M&A deal volume were the first three quarters of 2021, with the total annual count already over 12,000.
- High stock prices are driving a rise in transactions financed at least partially by stock, accounting for nearly half of M&A deals, up from 40% in 2020.
Interested in sponsoring future editions of this report? Visit our media partnerships page to learn more.
Table of contents
| Executive summary | 2 |
| Overview | 3 |
| Liberty GTS: Emerging Trends | 7 |
| Regional spotlights | 8 |
| Q&A: RBC Capital Markets | 10 |
| Sector spotlights | 12 |