S&P Global expects busy 2017 for mergers and acquisitions

NEW YORK — 2017 will be another busy year for merger and acquisition activity in the U.S., S&P Global Ratings stated in its latest report.

President Trump’s plans for lower corporate taxes, repatriation of cash held abroad, and a most business-friendly climate bode well for deal making, S&P wrote in its new report, “New Administration Could Spur M&A Activity, But Antitrust Regulation is Not Going Away.”

However, the financial ratings agency stressed it is uncertain how antitrust policy will be implemented in the new administration. “Even under a holistically less-stringent regulatory backdrop, antitrust enforcement will likely remain a hindrance to specific large transactions. The recent federal judge ruling blocking the Aetna-Humana merger is an example.

More information about the report can be found here.