by Graeme Wearden on (#6HEDN)
PwC predicts inflation will fall near normal levels' in 2024, but corporate insolvencies are forecast to jump2023 has been a poor year for dealmaking, particularly in the City of London.The value of merger and acquisition activity with any UK involvement shrank by 33% this year to $265.4bn, new data from LSEG Deals Intelligence shows.Steeply rising interest rates and a concerning outlook for the UK economy, combined with stricter antitrust enforcement and ongoing geopolitical tensions curbed the appetite for deal making in 2023.M&A involving UK companies declined 33% to the lowest level in fourteen years, with double-digit percentage declines for both the domestic and cross-border deal categories, and across all sectors.A barrel of Brent crude has edged below $80 pushing down energy giants, Shell and BP in early trade.With Maersk now scheduling tankers resuming their passages via and Suez Canal and the Red Sea, thanks to the reassurance of a US-led maritime force in the region, it's helped dispel some immediate concerns about supply issues. Continue reading...