More M&A deals were announced in Poland in the last quarter of 2010 than in any other quarter in the last six years. The value of deals announced amounted to about $4.27 billion, a figure bettered only by the mammoth $8.63 billion seen in Q4 2006.

These data, provided by M&A intelligence provider Mergermarket, illustrate the pace at which the Polish economy picked up last year. The first quarter saw modest activity, with 28 deal announcements (collectively valued at $28 million), while the final quarter had 48. Other markets in the region, such as Russia, Bulgaria or Ukraine, saw greater fluctuation in both the number and value of deals in 2010.

Source: Mergermarket

Poland’s upward M&A trend is likely to remain positive in 2011, according to Mergermarket.
“Valuations are likely to remain on the high side, compared to other countries of the CEE region and to much of Western Europe, precisely because of the (relatively) easy money offered by the capital markets,” said Jurek Maczynski, a financial journalist at Mergermarket. He noted, however, that the IPO market will offer “stiff competition” for the traditional mergers and acquisitions business.

Source: Mergermarket

“Sectors that are expected to see above-average activity include all things medical, telecoms, the food sector, FMCG retailers and wholesale distributors. Judging by the signals flowing from bankers and other sources, Poland could also see an uptick in activity in the packaging industry,” Mr Maczynski said.