M&A volume is up substantially in 1H14. Some are worried
the market may be overheating just as it did prior to financial crisis in 2006
and 2007. My view is this market is in a different stage than the 2006-2007
period. M&A has been depressed following the crisis. Current activity
appears more like a return to normal than overheating. Keep in mind, the stock
market increased over 30% last year while M&A was flat. The two are usually
correlated.
Especially interesting is the increased activity of activist
and hostile bids. In fact we are seeing a potentially new development of a
combined activist-hostile bid with the Pershing Square-Valeant-Allergan Drama.
Shareholders are putting increased pressure on management to do something. You
survived the crisis-now do something beyond share repurchases with our excess
cash. Thus,they are positively reacting to many announced deals. This factor
plus an improving economy, cheap debt and a rising stock market are
contributing factors.
Additional observations include:
1) Deal Quality: deal quality is high. It is
primarily larger consolidating and synergistic industrial transactions like
1990s versus the 2006-2007 private equity going private transactions. The deals
are concentrated in the telecom and healthcare industries which are undergoing
structural changes.
2) Financial Structure: although debt remains
plentiful and cheap strategic acquirers are primarily funding transactions with
equity. The percentage of debt financed cash deals has fallen from over 65% in
2006-2007 to around 45%. This helps lower deal risk as sellers are
participating in the future prospects of the new entity, and leverage levels
remain modest. Sellers are willing to accept buyer stock given increased
confidence in markets. They see the potential for a double dip price increase
for an appreciating buyer stock post close.
3) Private Equity (PE): LBO activity remains far
below its 25% pre crisis percentage of total M&A. This reflects current
high M&A prices and stiff competition from strategic buyers who have better
synergy prospects than PE. PE has responded by using increased leverage to help
offset higher purchase prices.
Of course, things can change quickly. The impact of the
unwinding of the Fed’s quantitative easing program remains an issue. PE, with
its large level of dry powder, could become more aggressive and drive up prices
and debt levels. Thus, caution is warranted and disciplined bidding is needed
by both strategic and PE acquirers. Nevertheless, the current market feels like
it is in the early growth phase-not the later overheated stage. History appears
to be rhyming - not repeating the overheated 2006-2007 period at this time.
j
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