Mega rival bids for F&N push Singapore M&A to its best-ever annual level of US$47.1b

Why are we not surprised?

According to Thomson Reuters, the value of announced M&A deals involving Singapore surged this year posting a record volume of US$79.4 billion, up 82.5% from 2011, driven by competing bids for Fraser & Neave which are currently still pending and will spill over in 2013.

Here's more from Thomson Reuters:

There have been a total of three announced deals exceeding $5 billion in value so far in 2012, compared to none in the previous year. These include the rival bids for Fraser & Neave from Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd-led group valued at US$12.5 billion and from TCC Assets (controlled by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi) worth US$9.2 billion. So far, at least 16 transactions targeting Fraser & Neave and its subsidiaries were announced this year valued at US$36.2 billion, pushing target Singapore M&A to reach its best-ever annual level of US$47.1 billion.

Total cross-border activity reached US$46.7 billion to date, a 90.5% growth over last year’s volume, and the highest annual period since 2007 (US$59.3 billion). Inbound M&A increased three-fold to a record level of US$27.2 billion and captured 58.2% of Singapore’s cross-border activity, while outbound deals accounted for 41.8% (US$19.5 billion). Deal value for domestic M&A reached US$20.0 billion, up 131% compared to 2011.

Food & Beverage Sector Takes the Limelight
Bolstered by the announced mega rival bids for Fraser & Neave and the completed stake acquisition of Asia Pacific Breweries by Heineken, Consumer Staples M&A soared to US$37.8 billion, a twenty-fold increase compared to 2011. Food & Beverage sub-sector M&A accounted for 46.3% Singapore-involvement acquisitions this year.

Meanwhile, the Financials sector represented 13.9% of the market share with US$11.0 billion, a 133% growth from last year, driven by DBS Group’s announced acquisition of Indonesia’s Bank Danamon for US$7.3 billion.

If you've been wondering whether SBR could work for your company — yes, probably.

A lot of the companies we partner with started as readers. They'd been following our coverage for a while, saw their own customers and competitors in it, and eventually asked the obvious question: could we do something with you? The answer is usually yes. The shape of it depends on what you're trying to do.

The options are broader than most people assume — thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. Some partners use one channel; most use a mix. We figure out the right combination by starting with your brief, not with our rate card.

So if the question has been on your mind, here's the easy way to ask it.

We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how. It's a better use of everyone's time.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia