Two in three Polish firms plan M&A deals

2010-02-26



A full 66% of Polish firms expect to acquire another company over the next three years, according to an international study by Grant Thornton. It is the highest percentage among the 36 countries covered by the study and sharply above the global average of 26%. It is also more than double the figure in the previous edition of the survey in 2008 (30%).
Of the takeover-minded Polish companies, 60% said M&A deals were a way to enter new markets, while 53% pointed to acquisition of new technologies and brands. Expanding the scale of operations and cutting costs were mentioned by fewer firms (19% and 12%, respectively). The majority are eying potential targets at home (76%), but a very substantial group (48%) are contemplating M&A deals abroad as well.
In the words of Maciej Richter, managing partner at the business advisory unit of Grant Thornton Frackowiak, Polish firms have always scored high in the ranking, but their latest advance to the global number one spot indicates an exceptional degree of confidence. Unusual opportunities created by the crisis may be one explanation.