Insurance M&A surge set in 2021

With a slew of deals announced in recent months, Clyde & Co. anticipates completed M&A transactions to surpass 220 worldwide during the first half of this year. That would be the first time since 2019 that level of transactional volume was reached. (Credit: metamorworks/Shutterstock.com)

A rise in global deals in 2020′s second half moved overall annual mergers and acquisitions volume to the second-highest total on record, according to Clyde & Co. LLP, which expects this momentum to carry into 2021.

The second-half rally, which set a five-year record for the number of deals closed, crashed expectations that the period would see a low rate of transactions. While the third and fourth quarters saw many deals, overall 2020 volume slightly lagged 2019 results, Clyde & Co. reported.