The value of global merger and acquisition (M&A) activity took a 29% hit in the first quarter of 2022 as market volatility fuelled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushed the brakes on last year's breakneck pace of dealmaking.
Overall deal volumes fell to $1.01 trillion from $1.43 trillion in the first quarter of 2021, according to Dealogic data, dragged down by a similar 29% drop in crossborder transactions, as geopolitical tensions forced large companies across borders to take a pause and postpone their pursuit of large strategic buyouts.
