2021 is not over yet, and the three months of this year will break records,
which will manifest itself in global mergers and acquisitions activity. Let's take a look at the five biggest M&A deals of this still unfinished year.
Number 1. Canadian National
Railway's $30 billion acquisition of KCS. This deal creates an
integrated logistics company spanning the U.S., Canada and Mexico,
which could play a positive role in restoring trade relations between
the U.S. and Mexico, although if antitrust regulators feel that the
acquisition acts to the detriment of U.S. competition, it may not become a deal.
Number 2 - The $26 billion acquisition of Shaw Communication by Rogers Communication,
leading to the emergence of a Canadian mobile communications giant. The key fact of this deal
is that the combined company has pledged to invest $2.5 billion to roll out 5G infrastructure across Western Canada over the next 5 years.
Number 3 - Vonovia's $22 billion acquisition of Deutsche Wohnen. this deal is considered Europe's
largest this year, with Vonovia, Germany's largest residential real estate group, acquiring its
second-largest competitor. As a result of the deal, the combined company will control more than 500,000 properties.
Number 4 - Microsoft's $20 billion acquisition of Nuance, allowing Microsoft to take a significant position
in healthcare, and implement its cloud strategy in the medical field.
Number 5 - The $17.4 billion acquisition of PPD by Thermo Fisher Scientific. This deal
represents a merger of a leading company in scientific equipment, software and services,
reagents and consumables with a leader in clinical research services, with an expected impact of
$125 million USA. This will enable Thermo Fisher Scientific to provide its customers with a richer
range of services in pharmaceuticals and life sciences. The premium to the PPD share price that Thermo Fisher Scientific paid was 24%.