CEE Deal Advisory Highlights 2022
Our highlights showcase a selection of projects that we advised on throughout the region.
Reflecting on the year, there are a few key themes that have directed and influenced
Mazars’ transactional activity in CEE:
- Strong cross-border dealmaking, with inbound investments coming from the USA, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, the Benelux and Scandinavia
- Private equity buyouts on the rise
- Robust M&A activity in the following sectors: Energy & Renewables, Technology, Industrials, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Real Estate and Telecommunications
- Increased number of M&A transactions involving CEE buyers
Mazars expects these themes to still influence the CEE deal activity in 2023. Igor Mišík, Senior Manager at Mazars in Slovakia stated: "I see a challenging 2023 for the Slovak transactional market. Major headwinds will be the prevailing fear of a shutdown of Russian gas imports, surging inflation and rising interest rates. Nevertheless, well-managed SMEs made during 2022 adequate measures and have got used to the new normal. Others may become a part of a long time no seen bargain boosting the 2023 M&A activity."
Despite the challenges related to the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, increasing inflation and higher interest rates, the perspectives for the upcoming months are relatively positive: Central & Eastern Europe is well-positioned to benefit from industrial nearshoring, succession planning, further PE funds activity, the shift towards renewables and further market consolidation in selected sectors being the main drivers of that trend.