The total estimated value of M&A transactions was 1.8 billion euros, in the first half of 2021 (H1), for a number of over 80 announced transactions, according to an analysis by PwC Romania. Thus, the first half of 2021 confirms that the local market of mergers and acquisitions continues its upward trend resumed since the second half of last year.

“Increasing the level of investor confidence, supported by encouraging macroeconomic data, excess liquidity in local and international financial markets and the promotion of the Bucharest Stock Exchange to emerging market status have significantly boosted transactions in Romania this year,” said Dinu Bumbăcea, country managing partner, PwC Romania.

In 59 of the 83 centralized PwC analysis transactions for the Romanian M&A market in the first six months of the year, the buyer was a strategic investor. Investment funds have also increased interest in the local market, with 16 of the announced transactions targeting capital funds.

“Beyond the resettlement of pandemic crisis winners in the competitive landscape of the markets in which they operate, the consolidation and polarization of companies to increase their resilience in crisis have also been an important catalyst for transactions between players in the same industry, or from sectors that allow vertical integration and capitalization of synergies,” says George Ureche, director, M&A leader, PwC Romania.

“The transport, energy and consumer goods sectors also recorded a high effervescence, in the desire of the big winners of the pandemic to consolidate their position in the market. We still expect the activity in the M&A area to increase in the green energy and logistics sectors,” add the experts of the consulting company.