Metals Heat Up: Metals M&A picks up off the floor and is positioned for a break-out year

摘要

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the metals sector has made quite the comeback. Backed by rebounding commodity prices and growing global thirst for resources, metals deal activity is on track to return to the level seen at the end of the 2006-2008 boom. The 2010 numbers are nothing short of impressive and give some indication of what's to come in 2011. Total metals sector M&A rose a staggering 79 per cent to US $27 billion from 2009, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) latest Forging Ahead Metals Deals report. Total transaction value also increased substantially, with a US $14.3 billion total by the end of 2010 compared to US $4.4 billion in 2009.