Mergers and Acquisitions Basics

Chapter 1. Introduction to Mergers and Acquisitions

The first decade of the new millennium heralded an era of global megamergers. Like the mergers and acquisitions (M&As) frenzy of the 1980s and 1990s, several factors fueled activity through mid-2007: readily available credit, historically low interest rates, rising equity markets, technological change, global competition, and industry consolidation. In terms of dollar volume, M&A transactions reached a record level worldwide in 2007. But extended turbulence in the global credit markets soon followed.

The first decade of the new millennium heralded an era of global megamergers. Like the mergers and acquisitions (M&As) frenzy of the 1980s and 1990s, several factors fueled activity through mid-2007: ...