Finance Monthly Magazine is pleased to announce that its 2016 M&A Awards edition has now been published.

Every year Finance Monthly M&A Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of dealmakers, management teams, financiers and professional advisers who, over the 12 months, have demonstrated their deal making excellence when working on some of the most important deal across the globe.

Finance Monthly’s research department has spent the past several months carefully researching and identifying some of the most respected individuals and firms from all over the world. The process, compromising of an online vote and personal nominations, culminated in Finance Monthly’s research team collating the totals to compile a definitive list of industry leaders. All of our M&A Awards winners show an insight into the market that proves why the demand for expert dealmakers continues to increase year upon year.

Editor-in-chief, Mark Palmer commented: “The M&A process is a tried and tested formula for the growth and prosperity of a company, and yet, it is a very complex field to navigate. We are extremely proud that all of the individuals and organisations that are listed within Finance Monthly’s 2016 M&A Awards have excelled in helping companies overcome the complications that can arise during these transactions and have contributed to achieving excellent results.”

Finance Monthly would like to thank all contributors and participants in the 2016 M&A Awards. Congratulations to our winners and finalists.

To view the awards publication please visit: http://mandaawards.finance-monthly.com/

2014 proved a record year in terms of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, according to data from Deloitte.

The firm stated that high M&A deal values made an emphatic return in 2014, particularly in the healthcare, TMT and consumer products sectors. In the first three quarters of 2014, companies spent US$2.5 trillion (€2.1 trillion) on M&A activities, making 2014 the best year for deals since 2007.

“The high value of deals will remain in 2015, with a cautious but steady pick-up. In 2015 I would expect to see these sectors continue to perform well, but in addition to more activity in the mining and resources sector, with speciality finance also being one to watch. By geography, the faster pace of recovery in the US over Europe will also deliver more trans-Atlantic interest in the industrial and manufacturing services,” said Paul Lupton, Head of Advisory Corporate Finance for Deloitte.

Consumer product M&A activity also saw increased activity levels in 2014. According to Deloitte, Emperado’s acquisition of Whyte & Mackay and, more recently, Yildiz’s acquisition of United Biscuits signalled the welcome return of overseas buyers making major investments in the European market. Benign credit conditions, large corporate war-chests and increased US buyer interest in Europe also point to an increase in activity levels.

Conor Cahill, Corporate Finance Partner at Deloitte, said that a number of major corporates are now re-aligning their brand portfolios and divesting non-core assets, with Reckitt Benckiser’s divestment of Ribena/Lucozade and Unilever’s disposal of its Ragu and Bertolli businesses as examples of this.

“Looking ahead, despite the easing of general commodity prices, consumer product companies continue to face pricing pressure as the intense competition between discounters and larger retailers persists. The ability to demonstrate innovation and investment will remain critical for branded goods producers to differentiate themselves from their private label counterparts,” said Mr. Cahill.