Latest news with #MergersAndAcquisitions
Gulf Business
7 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Business
Sharjah launches region's first government-led M&A platform to unlock growth
H.E. Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of Invest in Sharjah The Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), in partnership with Transworld Business Advisors, has launched Sharjah AcquireHub: the region's first government-led digital platform designed to streamline mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the emirate. Specialising in M&A activity, the platform is accessible to local, regional, and international investors and offers end-to-end support for SMEs, entrepreneurs, and corporates in Sharjah seeking growth, repositioning, or strategic exits. The initiative comes as M&A activity gains momentum globally and regionally. According to Bain & Company, global M&A transactions reached $3.5tn in 2024, while EY reported 701 regional deals totalling $92.3bn last year. Sharjah AcquireHub connects capital with high-potential opportunities and enhances market liquidity through a secure digital environment. The process includes seamless online registration, tailored advisory services, and post-deal support: all underpinned by confidentiality safeguards, including NDAs and rigorous due diligence. 'This platform reinforces Sharjah's role as a regional hub for smart investment and M&A in the SME sector,' said H.E. Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of Invest in Sharjah. 'Through this collaboration, we are opening new pathways for domestic and international investors while aligning with Sharjah's long-term development vision.' The launch follows an MoU between Invest in Sharjah and Transworld UAE, signed in the presence of H.E. Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, CEO of Shurooq. As part of the partnership, Transworld will deliver M&A readiness workshops, international matchmaking programmes, and targeted global roadshows to promote acquisition opportunities in Sharjah. Ahmed Ibrahim, CEO of Transworld UAE, noted: 'We are confident in the long-term impact this platform will have in enhancing the investment landscape and unlocking new growth opportunities. Strategic partnerships and digital transformation are critical to the next phase of economic advancement.' Transworld Business Advisors is a recognised leader in M&A advisory, having completed over 2,500 deals in 2024, with a presence in 27 countries and more than 1,000 dealmakers. Sharjah's SME sector, which makes up over 94 per cent of the UAE's businesses, is a core focus. In 2024, the emirate issued over 71,000 new and renewed licences, marking a 7 per cent year-on-year increase. With a clear emphasis on enabling exits, growth, and capital redeployment, Sharjah AcquireHub is a timely addition to the region's digital infrastructure — aligning investor interests with Sharjah's diversification agenda and cementing the emirate's position as a gateway to the M&A market.
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ELD Asset Management: M&A Hits Three-Year High
SINGAPORE, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Global M&A Surges to $2.6 Trillion as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Strategic Consolidation Reshape Corporate Deal Landscape in 2025 Global mergers and acquisitions have reached $2.6 trillion in the first seven months of 2025, driven by strategic consolidation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity investments, according to the latest analysis by ELD Asset Management. Transaction volumes dropped 16% year-to-date compared to 2024, yet total deal value climbed 28%, signalling an increasingly sophisticated market prioritising quality and scale over volume. ELD Asset Management highlights the United States as the dominant force, accounting for more than half of global activity. Landmark transactions, such as Union Pacific Corp's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern and OpenAI's recent $40 billion funding round led by Softbank Group, underscore the trend towards significant transformative investments. However, current market activity remains approximately $1 trillion (27%) below the peak levels recorded in August 2021. Jason Harrison, Senior Vice President at ELD Asset Management, emphasised the strategic nature of this shift, noting, "Companies increasingly see mergers and acquisitions as essential strategies for acquiring critical technologies. Acquiring AI capabilities has become a necessity to ensure long-term competitive advantage." The Asia Pacific region notably outperformed, doubling its dealmaking activity compared to the equivalent period in 2024 and surpassing traditional leaders in the EMEA region. Robust economic growth in Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE is particularly contributing to the attractive investment environment, offering substantial opportunities for strategic mergers and acquisitions. Artificial intelligence remains a primary catalyst behind 2025's significant M&A activities. Notable transactions include Synopsys's $35 billion acquisition of Ansys, Cisco's $28 billion purchase of Splunk, and Hewlett Packard's $14 billion takeover of Juniper Networks. Harrison pointed out that these deals highlight a wider corporate recognition of AI as essential for business sustainability and growth. The cybersecurity sector has also witnessed substantial growth, bolstered by private equity firms deploying considerable capital into the market. Prominent deals include Google's $32 billion acquisition of Wiz and Palo Alto Networks' $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk, indicative of private equity's active return, with firms currently managing nearly $2 trillion of investment capital. Regional market dynamics are shifting, creating distinct investment opportunities. North America continues to lead with substantial strategic transactions despite a reduction in overall deal numbers, while Asia Pacific, particularly China and Japan, demonstrates exceptional growth. Harrison noted, "We are proactively positioning client portfolios to leverage these evolving opportunities, particularly in technology and infrastructure sectors." Investor confidence remains robust due to stable macroeconomic conditions and clearer regulatory frameworks, notably in the United States, fostering a supportive environment for sustained M&A momentum through the remainder of 2025. "Our ongoing recommendation to clients is to strategically align their portfolios with these transformative market dynamics to achieve enduring value," Harrison concluded. About ELD Asset Management Founded in 2017, Singapore-based ELD Asset Management Pte. Ltd. provides strategic investment advice grounded in thorough market analysis and global economic insights, enabling clients to proactively identify opportunities. Further insights available at: Contact ELD Asset Management: M&A Hits Three-Year HighLuke Image - - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE ELD Asset Management Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
01-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
2025 Miami M&A Trends Report Reveals 1 in 3 Business Owners Plan to Sell Amid Tax Reforms
08/01/2025, Coral Gables, FL // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // A newly released report by SunBridge M&A Advisors shows that one in three small and lower-middle market business owners in Miami-Dade County are preparing to sell their companies in 2025. The 2025 Miami M&A Trends Report attributes this trend to favorable tax law changes, strong buyer demand, and near-record business valuations. The recently passed federal tax legislation, dubbed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' has created ideal exit conditions. The bill permanently doubles Section 179 expensing limits to $2.5 million, raises estate tax exemptions to $15 million for individuals and $30 million for couples, and keeps capital gains tax rates lower. For business owners considering an exit, these incentives make 2025 a prime window of opportunity. 'This is a perfect time for owners considering the sale of their business,' said Eduardo Alarcon, CEO of SunBridge M&A Advisors, a leading Miami business broker. 'With the tax environment more favorable than it's been in years and multiples holding strong, we're seeing a noticeable uptick in clients reaching out with one question: Is now the right time tosell my business? ' The report cites a 9 percent year-over-year increase in U.S. small business sales. In Miami specifically, lower-middle market companies are commanding an average multiple of 5.8 times EBITDA, among the highest levels in over a decade. Fueling this momentum is a highly competitive buyer landscape. With U.S. private equity dry powder exceeding $2 trillion and strong SBA loan approval rates, buyers are actively pursuing businesses valued between $5 million and $25 million. In-demand sectors include HVAC, healthcare, logistics, and technology-enabled services. 'With PE dry powder at near-record levels and interest rates poised to ease, 2025 offers one of the most favorable environments for sellers in over a decade,' said Eric Janson, Global Private Equity Leader at PwC. A recent transaction featured in the report involves a local HVAC contractor with $10 million in revenue and $2 million EBITDA. It was sold at 5.8 times EBITDA for $11.6 million, surpassing national averages by 20 percent. The report also underscores the demographic reality facing Miami's business landscape, with over half of all small business owners in the region now age 55 and older. Many of these owners are planning to transition out of their businesses within the next two to three years. Eduardo Alarcon, principal at SunBridge M&A Advisors, said sellers who begin preparing now can maximize value by timing their exit properly and structuring deals that take full advantage of the tax incentives. As one of the leading Miami business brokers, SunBridge M&A Advisors offers specialized mergers & acquisitions services, helping business owners navigate every step of the selling process, from initial business valuation to targeted buyer outreach, negotiation, and deal structuring. Business owners looking to understand current market conditions and maximize their exit can download the full 2025 Miami Business Sales & M&A Outlook Report — which includes access to our interactive valuation calculator to help estimate your business's potential market value. The report also features updated Miami-area valuation multiples, sector-specific deal benchmarks, and a practical exit-readiness checklist to guide your next steps. For more information, visit the SunBridge M&A Advisors website at About SunBridge M&A Advisors SunBridge M&A Advisors is a Florida-based sell-side advisory firm specializing in confidential business sales and lower-middle market M&A transactions for privately held companies. Focused on Miami business sales in the $1M–$50M enterprise value range, the firm delivers strategic guidance, expert valuation, and targeted buyer outreach to help business owners achieve optimal outcomes. SunBridge is a proud member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and the Alliance of M&A Advisors (AM&AA), upholding the industry's highest standards of professionalism and integrity. ### Media Contact SunBridge M&A Advisors 2222 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Ste 300, Coral Gables, FL 33134 (786) 693-9394 newsroom: Source published by Submit Press Release >> 2025 Miami M&A Trends Report Reveals 1 in 3 Business Owners Plan to Sell Amid Tax Reforms
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tim Cook is in a shopping mood
Apple could acquire companies to boost its growth, says CEO Tim Cook. Acquisitions are rare for Apple, and its largest deal was in 2014. Apple's acquisitions are smaller compared to Big Tech's AI and cloud investments. Apple is ready for some retail therapy. In a rare move, Apple CEO Tim Cook indicated interest in corporate acquisitions. "We're very open to M&A that accelerates our road map," Cook said on Thursday's earnings call, referring to mergers and acquisitions. "We are not stuck on a certain size company, although the ones that we have acquired thus far this year are small in nature." The CEO added, "We basically ask ourselves whether a company can help us accelerate a road map. If they do, then we're interested." Apple rarely splurges on big acquisitions. Its largest buy was Beats Electronics for $3 billion in 2014, which it used as a starting point to develop Apple Music. In the last few years, the company has bought smaller global fintech, augmented reality, and AI startups. On Thursday's call, Cook said Apple has bought seven companies this year from "all walks of life" and was doing a deal once every few weeks. In May, Apple bought video game studio RAC7 for an undisclosed amount. Still, Apple's recent eight- to nine-figure deals are small compared with those of its Big Tech counterparts, who have been spending big to stay competitive in the AI and cloud race. In March, Google finalized a $32 billion acquisition of the cloud security startup Wiz. In May, OpenAI said that it was acquiring iPhone designer Jony Ive's AI devices startup io for about $6.4 billion. In June, Meta paid $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in data labelling startup Scale AI. More acquisitions could be the iPhone maker's way of playing catch-up in the AI supremacy race that engulfed Big Tech. Last year, Apple unveiled its Apple Intelligence AI platform. But this year, at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, Craig Federighi, a senior vice president of software engineering, said Apple's work on Siri needed "more time." On Thursday, Apple delivered record third-quarter revenue of $94 billion compared to Wall Street's estimates of $89.3 billion. It also beat on earnings per share, a key profitability measure, which came in at $1.57 compared to the estimated $1.43. The company's stock was up 2.4% after hours on Thursday. Apple is down 17% so far this year because of its failure to release innovative AI products and concerns that tariffs will hurt iPhone sales. Read the original article on Business Insider Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Japan Times
01-08-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan's Dai-ichi Life eyes M&A in Southeast Asia for growth
Dai-ichi Life Holdings is considering mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in Southeast Asia as part of its plan to expand overseas, eyeing a growing but increasingly crowded market. Japan's biggest listed life insurer is looking at the Philippines and Malaysia as emerging markets that offer business opportunities as more households ascend to middle class, said Brett Clark, senior managing executive officer in charge of the firm's Asia-Pacific region outside of Japan. Dai-ichi Life is also interested in expanding its customer base in Singapore, which has a lucrative market serving high net worth individuals but is also highly competitive, he said in an interview. "The whole of Asia Pacific is a competitive market and so we're not complacent,' Clark said. "We would prefer to avoid small and subscale positions in many markets and would rather have larger and scaled positions in fewer markets.' Major Japanese life insurers are seeking to expand profits from overseas operations, as a declining birth rate and an aging population in the home market limit potential for growth. But the biggest insurance markets in the United States and Europe are already crowded, and competition is heating up in Asia, particularly in developed economies like Singapore. Sumitomo Life Insurance, for one, boosted its presence in the city state in a big way last year, making Singapore Life a wholly owned subsidiary. Dai-ichi Life plans to generate about half of its group adjusted profit from overseas life insurance operations in the fiscal year ending March 2031, with half of that coming from the Asia-Pacific region outside of Japan. The firm aims to increase profit from the region to ¥150 billion ($1 billion) from ¥57.6 billion over the period. Group adjusted profit is used to calculate shareholder returns, adjusting net income for accounting gains and losses. "If we could add an operating unit in Singapore or Malaysia or the Philippines, that would be ideal for us sometime over the next few years,' Clark said. Potential measures include investments in local insurers, and it's also considering asset management firms as M&A targets, he said. Dai-ichi Life already has operations in Australia, India and some Southeast Asian markets including Vietnam. Clark, in fact, was an executive at Tower Australia Group when Dai-ichi acquired it in 2011.
