Most mergers and acquisitions professionals believe the M&A market is headed in a positive direction, even as political uncertainty could upend transactions, according to a recent Merrill Insight poll.
Three things to know:
1. Merill Insight, part of Merrill Corp., a technology provider for M&A professionals, said 52 percent of the more than 200 M&A professionals polled see a positive outlook for healthcare and life sciences deals next year. That represented a 12 percent jump from the Merrill Insight poll released in November.
2. Thirty-five percent of respondents, who were from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said political uncertainty is the most likely factor to sink healthcare deals in the next year. That concern came ahead of investor confidence, data privacy, antitrust and national security regulations.
3. "The healthcare landscape is becoming increasingly difficult for dealmakers to navigate, as the U.S. enters a major election season and questions still surround the details of Brexit," Rusty Wiley, CEO of Merrill Corp., said in a press release. "On top of this, the healthcare industry is still grappling with how to operationalize and protect vast amounts of data, as well as how to attract the technology talent needed to capture that opportunity."
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