Despite an unstable environment brought by the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues, corporate dealmakers remained busy in 2021 by acquiring transformative capabilities and scaling rapidly – leading to a record-breaking year for merger and acquisition (M&A) deal value, exceeding expectations at an unmatched $5.9 trillion, according to the Bain & Company’s (Bain) fourth annual M&A report.
The new report explored the opportunities presented by the shifting M&A landscape. For example, it found that valuation multiples in a white-hot market hit an all-time high of 15.4 times enterprise value/EBITDA in 2021. Notably, tech assets decoupled