LONDON — Executives around the world are cooling to the idea of mergers and acquisitions in the face of rising trade tensions, notably between the U.S. and China, a leading adviser on international corporate deals said Monday. “Geopolitical, trade and tariff uncertainties have finally caused some dealmakers to hit the pause button,” said Steve Krouskos, a global vice chair at EY. Higher tariffs have the potential to weigh on global growth, especially if countries retaliate against each other in a vicious cycle. “Many companies are looking to M&A to mitigate the potential impact of trade and tariff policies, secure market access and protect supply chains,” Krouskos said. Krouskos said companies are likely to use the upcoming period to bed in deals undertaken over the past 12 months and that 2018 will remain one of the biggest-ever for the number of M&A deals.

Source: National Post October 08, 2018 09:22 UTC