Professional services firm KPMG has released its latest report – ‘Transport Tracker’ – which has predicted that mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the transport and logistics sector will supersede the US$59bn amount seen in 2014.
The first quarter of 2015 has already seen completed global transactions worth $10bn, and further acquisitions valued at $10bn have already been announced.
Consolidation, geographical expansion and vertical specialisation remain the predominant reasons for transactions in the sector.
The increase in private investment in transport infrastructure operators in the sector is expected to be a key driver of business transactions.
According to the report, M&A activity has evolved in the context of the increasing digitisation of the transport industry and the strong influence of the growing e-commerce business.
James Stamp, UK Head of Transport at KPMG, said: “Total deal values of transport & logistics transactions in 2014 amounted to £39.6 billion and we expect this figure to be superseded in 2015.
“In addition to high-volume transactions for the purpose of inorganic growth (particularly by US companies as a result of the strength of the US dollar) we expect selective acquisitions of specialized IT and e-commerce companies will increasingly shape the M&A strategies of transport companies.”
