SPCX - Global M&A activity fell to three-year low in 2020 as pandemic rattled markets

Global M&A activity rebounded in the back half of 2020 after dropping off a cliff in Q2, when companies contended with the financial market turmoil at the start of the pandemic. Still, activity declined for the year.Value of M&A globally declined 5% Y/Y to $3.6T in 2020, its lowest since 2017, according to a preliminary tally by Refinitiv. By number, 48,226 deals were announced vs. 50,113 in 2019.The easy monetary policy of central banks helped financial markets recover, giving companies access to low-cost financing. Surging equity markets also provided them with the option of using stock for their acquisitions.Tech, healthcare, and financial services M&A led the rebound.Eight of the year's 10 biggest deals were announced in the second half, led by S&P Global's $44B purchase of IHS Markit. Others include AstraZeneca's $39B acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, and Salesforce.com's $27.7B deal for Slack Technologies.The overall Y/Y decline was most apparent in

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Global M&A activity fell to three-year low in 2020 as pandemic rattled markets