Global corporate activity is booming, A Soc Gen report circulated last week suggests we may be on the brink of one of the biggest M&A waves since the 1880's,...

Global corporate activity is booming, A Soc Gen report circulated last week suggests we may be on the brink of one of the biggest M&A waves since the 1880's, the previous being the 1990's tech wave. M&A activity rocketed this month with Verizon's $130bn buyout of Vodafone's stake in a US wireless joint venture. In the first nine months of the year, the value of US M&A deals, at $854bn, has been the strongest since 2008, according to Dealogic. Global corporate bond issuance so far this year, at $1.6tn, is the highest since Dealogic's records started in 1995 - the deals list dominated recently by the $49bn raised by Verizon to fund its deal with Vodafone. The value of US initial public offerings so far this year is the highest since 2007, whilst UK IPOs have had their best September for nine years. (VIEW LINK)