Colombia sees sharpest upswing in Latin America M&A deal value

Colombia has recorded the biggest upswing in aggregate value of M&A transactions during the first 10 months of the year, with a 203 per cent increase to $7.89 billion, based on 56 transactions of disclosed sums, and with a total of 167 deals, a 23 per cent increase in the number of deals year-on-year. 

The number of M&A deals across Latin America increased by 11 per cent to October in comparison with the same period of 2018.

Colombia ranked fifth in Latin America in terms of the number of deals, with Brazil leading, having recorded 1,081 deals to end of October, a seven-per-cent increase compared with the same period in 2018.

However, Brazil’s aggregate deal value fell by 2 per cent to $43.21 billion, based on 482 transactions of disclosed consideration, according to a report by Transactional Track Record.

Despite seeing fewer deals this year compared to 2018, Mexico ranks second in the region by volume, with 240 deals to the close of October, a 19 per cent year-on-year decline, while aggregate deal value decreased by 2 per cent to $13.57 billion, based on 93 deals for which sums were disclosed.

Chile lies in third place, chalking up 201 deals, a 2 per cent increase on the first 10 months of 2018, and which totalled $11.02 billion, a 58 per cent surge in aggregate value compared to the same period of last year.

Argentina ranked fifth, seeing a 29 per cent decline in volume and a 27 per cent drop in aggregate value over the same period of 2018.