In 2022 the value of strategic M&A fell to its lowest point in a decade and the M&A deals gap between seller’s and buyer’s valuations remained large. But despite the challenging environment, some businesses took advantage of the market’s fluctuations to pursue their M&A goals.

One of these was the successful merger of United Technologies and Rockwell Collins which resulted in the world’s most advanced defense and aerospace manufacturing company for systems. The deal was valued at $135 billion, and was a win-win for the buyers and sellers alike that allowed them to grow their customer base and boost the revenue.

In a similar way, LSEG, the owner of Europe’s largest financial markets, purchased the US-based competitor NYSEG to create the world’s most comprehensive global market data provider. This acquisition will help LSEG to better serve its customers by providing them with complete market data trading tools, analytics and analytics, in addition to risk management services, across international financial markets.

The success of vertical M&A is also evident in the $70-billion acquisition of Aetna by CVS Health, which transformed the healthcare landscape by the combination of pharmacy and health insurance services into one company. The energy sector also saw an M&A vertical in the form of ONEOK’s purchase from Magellan midstream Partners L.P. for an impressive $18.8 Billion. The deal is expected to transform oil and gas infrastructure. Similar to this the state-owned Chinese company ChemChina combined with its rival Sinochem into the world’s biggest industrial chemical conglomerate. This is a clear indication that it is important to leverage M&A in times of uncertainty and change.