U.S. and Asian companies seeking acquisitions in Europe may accelerate dealmaking next year after a slowdown in the second half, beckoned by a slumping euro and share prices depressed by the sovereign debt crisis.
Led by Johnson & Johnson’s $21.3 billion bid for Switzerland’s Synthes Inc. (SYST), announced takeovers in Europe by overseas companies rose by about 58 percent to $252 billion this year, data compiled by Bloomberg show. While acquisitions have declined since July, companies including General Electric Co. (GE), China’s HNA Group Co., and Japan’s Fast Retailing Co. (9983) have signaled an appetite for further takeovers in the region.
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