Yesterday Vlerick Business School M&A and buy-out centre presented its 11th edition of the Vlerick M&A Barometer. Thank you Mathieu Luypaert for the presentation of the results as well as Sophie Manigart and Wouter Gabriëls of Lazards for the insights and debate on the results. Each year Monard Law M&A team participates in this scientific exercise to help shed the light on the status of the M&A market in Belgium. Some of the key take-aways based on input of in total 138 M&A deal/financial/legal advisors that participated in the survey: 🎯 Signification drop in deal volume especially in large cap transactions in 2023 - however no big decline in small and mid-market transactions 🎯 Valuation multiples decline except in small transactions 🎯 Deal processes take much longer 🎯 ESG is in the core of (PE) investment policies 🎯 AI is becoming more and more relevant also in the M&A process. Overall these results come as no surprise and are in light with our personal experience of the market in 2023. Good news? 2024 is expected! 😊 🙌 🤝 Study will become available through Vlerick.
Nadine Leitner
3mo
I always find it very exciting and interesting that the M&A market in different countries (at least in Europe) always develops in relatively the same way. This is probably also due to the very international environment. But even at the level of national deals, I hardly notice any differences. I am very excited to see what 2024 will (still) bring!
To all my M&A contacts in Belgium/abroad - feel free to share your comments if you agree/disagree on these conclusions of the M&A market in 2023 and the outlook for 2024! Always eager to learn more!