Transaction Trail Annual Report

We are pleased to launch the tenth edition of our flagship report, Duff & Phelps Transaction Trail 2021. This year's report covers mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity/venture capital (PE/VC) investments and initial public offerings (IPOs) in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia (the “Region”) for 2021.

Our 10th Annual Transaction Trail Report could not have come at a better time, with the year 2021** witnessing ultra-mega transactions in the Region across mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital (PE/VC) investments and initial public offerings (IPOs), which have exceeded the historic highs of the recent past, towering at 1,800 transactions, valued at a whopping USD $280 billion.

Key Highlights

  • During 2021, the Region witnessed a substantial growth of 230% in transaction value from US$84 billion in 2020 to US$280 billion in 2021.
  • Singapore continues to be in the forefront, contributing $217 billion in total value of which $199 billion is from M&A, with over 62% of M&A value coming from outbound acquisitions and 29% from inbound transactions.
  • Malaysia recorded deal activity at about $23 bn, a 280% increase over the previous year, driven by a sizable domestic merger transaction.
  • Indonesia witnessed some of its largest IPOs in 2021, resulting in an overall IPO capital raised at $3.8 bn compared to $400 million (mn) last year.
  • Funds and businesses in the Region have shown significant interest in SPACs, with sponsors based in the Region listing SPAC vehicles in the U.S. markets and several new economy businesses in the Region merging with U.S. SPAC vehicles.
  • Another prominent trend we have been tracking in the recent few years has been the increase in PE/VC investments in the technology industry.
 

Going forward, with the world taking tentative steps towards trying to get to a new normal of living, we are also seeing a new normal for doing transactions. While transaction activity is cyclical and we may not see historical records every year, we expect to see continued strong deal momentum in the Region, driven by availability of capital resources and allocations, dynamic political climate, regulatory changes in China channeling more transactions to the Region and a rapid increase in technology adoption.

We hope you enjoy reading our 10th Annual Transaction Trail Report and we welcome your feedback, comments and suggestions. We are also pleased to share that Duff & Phelps, A Kroll Business, will be rebranding as Kroll in the new year to deliver a more integrated suite of technology, data and expert enabled-solutions to solve clients’ risk, governance and financial needs.

The report has been covered by the following media outlets: