A retrospective look at 2017
In Canada, 2017 had the highest number of mergers and
acquisitions (M&A) deals in the past five
years. There were a total number of 2,274 deals carried out in 2017, compared to
1,956 in 2016. The number of "mega deals", however, did
not see an increase in 2017. "Mega deals" are categorized
as deals that have a value of US $5 billion or more. The number of
these types of transactions went down from seven in 2016, to two in
2017.
For 2017, PwC noted the following three common M&A
trends:
1) Increased number of deals and value
Both the cumulative amount and value of Canadian M&A deals
increased substantially in 2017. Apart from "mega deals",
deal activity flourished due to a variety of factors. For instance,
sellers wanted to capitalize on high stock prices to receive
significant gains and engaged in succession planning for their
family businesses. Buyers, on the other hand, engaged in M&A as
a result of their confidence in the
