SARASOTA, FL--(Marketwire - September 2, 2010) - IMAP, Inc., an exclusive global organization of leading merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory firms, released its 2010 Annual Report which provides a mid-year update on M&A activity in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. IMAP advisors have performed well despite the global financial crisis, by completing 179 transactions in 2009. IMAP also added offices in Spain, Japan and India within the last year.
"In an economic environment like this, more than ever before, buyers and sellers need advisers who can provide ideas and insight to clients that wish to acquire or divest their business operations," said Mark Esbeck, IMAP President. "We hope IMAP's 2010 Annual Report will provide investors with a better understanding of how IMAP might help them accomplish their M&A objectives, both now and in the future."
Nearly all IMAP advisers in North America have seen an improvement in M&A activity so far in 2010 versus 2009. However, U.S. businesses are concerned that increased federal spending on stimulus and other government initiatives will result in a higher tax burden on the business community. Still, IMAP advisers believe North American companies see opportunities to grow abroad and believe now is the time to make acquisitions at reasonable prices, ahead of foreign competition.
Parts of Europe are showing signs of recovery while others are expecting the sluggish economy to continue for the next several years. The Nordic and Eastern European regions appear to have rebounded faster than the economies of the U.K., Germany and France. Additionally, IMAP advisers are concerned that anti-business legislation in the Nordic region may stimulate M&A activity in certain industries while shifting jobs away from others.
IMAP advisers in Asia have seen the region recover faster and more dramatically from the global financial crisis than Europe and North America. The future in Asia is expected to consist of an even greater integration of commercial activities between the East and the West. M&A activity is up in both India and China, as capital formation and availability for business acquisition appear to be ahead of more developed regions. IMAP advisers expect more Chinese buyers to be involved in future acquisitions at all levels of the middle market.
Latin America was arguably the strongest M&A market with an increase in transaction opportunities from 2009. Most IMAP offices saw only a slight decline in 2009 from 2008 and a strong rebound so far in 2010. Global acquirers, regional expansion and Latin American companies looking for cross-border deals are accelerating M&A activity in the Latin America.
To view or download a complete copy of IMAP's 2010 Annual Report, please visit www.imap.com.
Media, private equity groups, corporate development personnel, global M&A attorneys, and other industry professionals will have an opportunity to meet representatives at IMAP's 2010 Global Mergers & Acquisitions Symposium in Paris, France on Thursday, October 21. More information on this fall symposium will be announced in the coming months and will also be posted to the IMAP Web site. www.imap.com/conferences.
About IMAP
IMAP is an exclusive global organization of leading merger and acquisition advisory firms. Formed in 1973, IMAP is composed of 45 offices in nearly 30 countries throughout North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, Australia and Asia. In 2009, IMAP advisers completed 179 transactions, with an aggregate transaction value of more than $6 billion. IMAP advisers provide strategic merger, acquisition, divestiture and related corporate finance services. Sellers of mid-size companies and corporate acquirers alike rely upon IMAP for essential local market knowledge and industry expertise delivered with unparalleled global reach. Every business day, somewhere in the world, an IMAP adviser is completing an M&A transaction. More information is available via the Internet at www.imap.com.
To arrange an interview with a member of IMAP's global network of advisors, please contact the following:
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
Christina Bereta
IMAP
(312) 780-7218
christina.bereta@imap.com
David Gutierrez
IMAP
(312) 780-7204
david.gutierrez@imap.com