Looking ahead to the 2012 merger-and-acquisition environment, PricewaterhouseCoopers sees pent-up U.S. demand for deals being unleashed -- if the lending environment eases and access to capital improves. Looking ahead to the 2012 merger-and-acquisition environment, PricewaterhouseCoopers sees pent-up U.S. demand for deals being unleashed — if the lending environment eases and access to capital improves.In its latest M&A report on the “Hunt for Growth,” as PwC calls it, the consultancy predicted that acquisition activity would remain steady if “current macroeconomic conditions and limited financing persist into the new year.” It that is the case, it said, some dealmakers with capital would be staying on the sidelines. But that “wait and see” mode would give way to an uptick if conditions improved.Volatile equity markets slowed mounting U.S. deal activity in the third and fourth quarters, following growing deal momentum in the first two quarters of 2011. In light of concerns over European debt and a pullback in financing, U.S. merger and acquisition activity in the second half of 2011 was driven by well-prepared dealmakers focused on executing acquisitive growth strategies and availability of businesses with strong fundamentals– a key trend expected to continue into 2012, according to PwC’s Year-End U.S. M&A Outlook.“Despite lingering concerns for the global economy and financing obstacles, there continues to be a steady pulse of deal activity in the U.S. through the second half of the year from both corporate and financial investors,” Martyn Curragh, U.S. transaction services leader for PwC, said in a statement accompanying the report. “The ‘hunt for growth’ remains a top priority for corporates of all sizes, while private equity also continues to put capital to work at higher levels than last year. Looking ahead to 2012, there will be a greater focus on being able to navigate global market conditions and having more certainty around final deal outcomes.” He added, “We’re also continuing to see buyers look towards the emerging markets, such as Brazil and China where local economies are in an upward cycle.”In PwC’s appraisal, sellers now are looking for both speed and certainty in a deal, and also pursuing various alternative options and scenarios as they proceed as a way of maximizing the asset’s value. That’s because, with “sellers in the driver’s seat, buyers must remain poised and ready when deal negotiations continue for a prolonged timeframe,” according to PwC.Said Curragh, “Savvy buyers and sellers that thoroughly prepare for and understand every option will be the most successful in executing on growth objectives and deal strategies.” Related content brandpost ChatGPT and Your Organisation: How to Monitor Usage and Be More Aware of Security Risks By Hayley Salyer Jun 05, 2023 7 mins Chatbots Artificial Intelligence brandpost Who’s paying your data integration tax? Reducing your data integration tax will get you one step closer to value—let’s start today. By Sandrine Ghosh Jun 05, 2023 4 mins Data Management feature 13 essential skills for accelerating digital transformation IT leaders too often find themselves behind on business-critical transformation efforts due to gaps in the technical, leadership, and business skills necessary to execute and drive change. By Stephanie Overby Jun 05, 2023 12 mins Digital Transformation IT Skills tip 3 things CIOs must do now to accurately hit net-zero targets More than a third of the world’s largest companies are making their net-zero targets public, yet nearly all will fail to hit them if they don’t double the pace of emissions reduction by 2030. This puts leading executives, CIOs in particul By Diana Bersohn and Mauricio Bermudez-Neubauer Jun 05, 2023 5 mins CIO Accenture Emerging Technology Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe