Romania's M&A market value falls to 1.5 bln euro in 2020 - Deloitte

Taking into account transactions with a still undisclosed value, the M&A market could reach an estimated 3.7 - 4.3 billion euro in 2020, down from an estimated 4 - 4.4billion euro in 2019, Deloitte said in a press release.

"2020 marked a decrease in the number of transactions compared to the previous year, but given the unprecedented general context marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, we can say that these results are good," Deloitte Romania financial consultancy partner and coordinator Radu Dumitrescu said.

"There are signals that market players' interest for transactions, both on the buying and selling side, will continue in 2021, but given the uncertainties that govern the entire economic spectrum amid the continuing pandemic, we remain cautious," Radu Dumitrescu added.

In total, 91 transactions were announced in 2020, down from 110 in the previous year, including those whose value was not officially disclosed. Deloitte's analysis did not take into account transactions worth less than 5 million euro each.

The biggest transactions of the year 2020 were the acquisition of energy assets owned by Czech group CEZ in Romania by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets for an undisclosed sum, the takeover of a minority stake in Globalworth, the largest owner of office buildings in Romania and Poland, by Czech developer CPI Property Group and the takeover of a 54% stake in fixed-line operator Telekom Romania Communications by Orange Romania for 268 million euro, Deloitte said.

($=0.8221 euro)