Raised interest rates may end biggest merger boom the world has ever seen

Bankers and CEOs are praying that this year's tsunami of merger and acquisition deals has a lot of force left - and won't end the way previous booms have

Well the Fed has finally done it and raised interest rates. Stock markets seem to like it so far. But it may also spell the end for the biggest boom in mergers and acquisitions the world has ever seen. If it does, we should all be worried.

Maybe it really might be different this time? The phrase is probably one of the most overused in the world of finance. And yet, bankers, lawyers and corporate CEOs are all praying that this year's tsunami of merger and acquisition deals has a lot of force left in it - and above all, that it won't end in bloodshed and tears, as the last two big M&A booms have done.