• Over 8,300 M&A deals worth over $100 million in value completed worldwide from 2008 to 2018,¹ with a combined value of $9.4 trillion.
• 55% of these deals outperformed the market by a total of $227 billion over the last decade. The 45% that underperformed the market left $73.9 billion on the table compared to the overall market performance.
• Willis Towers Watson marks the 10th anniversary of its Quarterly Deal Performance Monitor with a review of the five biggest trends of the last 10 years.

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — M&A deal making has been unequivocally shown to have delivered superior shareholder returns during the last decade, according to global M&A data compiled by leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, Willis Towers Watson’s (NASDAQ: WLTW) Quarterly Deal Performance Monitor (QDPM). Based on share price performance, companies actively engaged in M&A deals (valued at over $100 million) from 2008 to 2018 outperformed the market² by an average of 3.1pp (percentage points), demonstrating M&A as an effective tool for adding value.

“Some business leaders argue that organic growth is better than buying growth, but the track record of the last decade should make companies question this conventional view,” said Jana Mercereau, senior director of Willis Towers Watson’s Mergers and Acquisitions team. “Our data show companies that were disciplined acquirers consistently outperformed those that stayed away from deals. M&A, in short, has been a successful strategy for profitable growth.”

The five biggest trends over the last 10 years, according to the Willis Towers Watson global study in partnership with Cass Business School, have been:

• Bigger is better. Mega deals, those valued at over $10 billion, beat the index by 4.3pp, while large deals valued at over $1 billion outperformed by 2.9pp. But medium deals ($100 million – $1 billion) only performed a marginal 0.1pp above the index. The biggest blockbuster deals are usually pursued by companies with significant M&A experience, which likely explains why they are more adept at delivering the biggest rewards for shareholders.
• The rise of China. Chinese M&A activity reached historic highs in the last decade and doubled its market share, rising from $24.9 billion or 3.5% of the global M&A market in 2008 to $57.5 billion or 7.2% in 2018. Despite government restrictions on capital outflows and rising protectionism, Chinese outbound investment is still expected to reach further highs over the next decade.
• U.K. shrugs off Brexit. U.K.-headquartered companies have consistently beaten the European index by 3.7pp and have maintained this performance level despite the country’s looming departure from the EU. The U.K. also remains Europe’s investment destination of choice thanks to a number of factors including its skilled labor force, political and economic stability, and market size.
• Regional winners and losers. European deal makers, as well as outperforming non-acquirers in their own region by 3.7pp, have been far more consistent than any other region, delivering on average a positive shareholder return in nine out of the last 10 years. In contrast, U.S.-based acquirers outperformed their regional index by just 1.5pp. A 10-year rolling average performance of 8.3pp keeps Asia Pacific companies in pole position, but roller-coaster swings in the region have seen acquirers failing to add value for the last seven quarters in a row.
• Industry winners and losers. Compared to other industries, telecoms and technology companies completing M&A transactions performed the worst by actually destroying value over the last 10 years, with underperformances of 1.5pp and 0.5pp, respectively. By contrast, materials and consumer staples companies that completed deals delivered the strongest returns of 5.6pp and 5.3pp over the same period.

“Deal making is cyclical and success never guaranteed, with recent years proving especially difficult to deliver a deal without harming shareholder value. But the historical success of M&A as a growth strategy comes into sharp relief when you take a long-term view,” said Mercereau. “Our analysis suggests that companies will need to focus more on inorganic growth to meet their investors’ expectations. And just as we have seen in the last decade, the winners will be those who get in the game and learn how to play it well.”

Willis Towers Watson QDPM methodology

• All analysis is conducted from the perspective of the acquirer.
• Share-price performance within the quarterly study is measured as a percentage change in share price from six months prior to the announcement date to the end of the quarter in which the deal is completed.
• All deals where the acquirer owned less than 50% of the shares of the target after the acquisition were removed — hence no minority purchases have been considered. All deals where the acquirer held more than 50% of target shares prior to the acquisition have been removed — hence no remaining purchases have been considered.
• Deal data sourced from Thomson Reuters.

About Willis Towers Watson M&A

Willis Towers Watson’s M&A practice combines our expertise in risk and human capital to offer a full range of M&A services and solutions covering all stages of the M&A process. We have particular expertise in the areas of planning, due diligence, risk transfer and post-transaction integration, areas that define the success of any transaction.

About Willis Towers Watson

Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has over 40,000 employees serving in more than 140 countries. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas — the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential. Learn more at willistowerswatson.com.

Media contact

Ed Emerman: +1 609 275 5162
[email protected]

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1}QDPM, Willis Towers Watson and Cass Business School. Research for 2018 includes deals completed between January 1, 2018, and September 30, 2018.
²The MSCI World Index — used here as default, unless stated otherwise. The share price returns have been adjusted to index returns over the corresponding period.