A total of 4,478 deals (mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing deals) were announced in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region during January to April 2024, a decline of 9.3% compared to the announcement of 4,935 deals during the same period in 2023. Nevertheless, APAC experienced the lowest downturn among all regions, showcasing its enduring appeal to investors, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Subdued deal activity remained a global trend during the review period and all the regions experienced decline in deals volume. Even though the APAC region registered decline but it is the lowest among all the regions. In fact, APAC was the only region to see single-digit decline in deals volume during January-April 2024 compared to January-April 2023.”

For instance, the number of deals announced in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and South and Central America regions fell by 26.1%, 19.9%, 11.3%, and 29.3%, respectively. These are relatively higher compared to the decline registered for the APAC region.

An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that all the deal types under coverage registered decline in volume. The number of M&A, private equity and venture financing deals declined by 11.7%, 28.7% and 5.7%, respectively, during January-April 2024 compared to January-April 2023.

Meanwhile, several key markets within the region witnessed decline in deals volume. For instance, deals volume for China, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Thailand witnessed year-on-year decline of 15.8%, 1.2%, 7.9%, 15%, 30.7%, 15.8%, 17.9% and 11.1%, respectively.

Bose concludes: “APAC’s relatively modest decrease signifies resilience in the face of broader economic challenges. This resilience underscores the region’s enduring appeal to dealmakers and highlights its potential for sustained growth in the deal landscape. Despite headwinds, opportunities abound, and strategic dealmakers would be wise to remain vigilant, identifying pockets of value amidst the shifting tides of the market.”