The Top Online Resources for M&A News and Guidance

Whether you’re just getting started in the world of mergers and acquisitions or you’re a seasoned professional, everyone can learn something new about the M&A landscape. The good news is that there’s no shortage of online M&A resources available to help you prepare for your next deal.  

Here are some of the top online resources for M&A news and guidance.

M&A news sources

Your first step should be to consult M&A news sources, in order to get your finger on the pulse of recent transactions and activity. Reading M&A news can help you determine the health of the market, identify specific trends, and find comparable transactions.

1. Reuters

Reuters is an international news agency that has been rated the second most trustworthy news brand in the world, with a reputation for objectivity and impartiality. While it covers a variety of topics, Reuters specializes in business and financial news, including M&A activity. The Reuters M&A news feed includes “deals of the day” articles that sum up daily bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals, so that you can see what’s happened at a glance.

2. Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha is a financial news website that has a healthy M&A news section. The Seeking Alpha M&A section includes the latest news and analysis on mergers, acquisitions, negotiations, and divestitures. In addition to M&A news, Seeking Alpha is also a valuable resource for other financial news, including stocks, ETFs, investing, IPOs, and opinion and analysis articles.

M&A reports

Following M&A news is a great way to stay up-to-date, but it can get overwhelming. M&A reports are another very practical resource, summarizing recent activity for you and analyzing the results.

3. Bain Global Corporate M&A Report

The management consulting firm Bain & Company puts out an annual report on the state of global corporate M&A. The report includes both illustrative statistics and in-depth analyses of important trends. For easier perusal, Bain has also broken down the report into separate M&A topics such as dealmaking, private capital, and due diligence.

4. Mergermarket

Mergermarket is an M&A intelligence tool that helps businesses make smarter, data-driven decisions. The Mergermarket website offers a regular stream of publications and reports about M&A activity. These documents discuss both global and regional M&A trends, as well as specialized M&A topics such as private equity, deal-enabling technology, and renewable energy.

M&A associations

M&A is inherently a collaborative activity, making business partners out of old rivals: both organizations join forces because they believe they can benefit from the deal. This also means that M&A associations are a natural development. If you’re looking for support and outside advice during an M&A deal, getting in touch with M&A associations can help connect you with mentors and resources.

5. IMAA

The Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA) calls itself “the leading global think tank for M&A.” IMAA runs training programs and events across North America, Europe, and Asia, and also offers certifications such as International Mergers and Acquisitions Expert (IM&A) and Mergers and Acquisitions Professional (M&AP). The IMAA website also includes useful M&A resources such as M&A news, reports, statistics, and articles.

6. ACG

The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) is a professional organization for M&A and corporate growth professionals. ACG holds more than 1,000 annual events, including conferences, social outings, and webinars. The organization also provides M&A news and hosts peer-to-peer networks, including groups to connect women leaders and young professionals.

M&A guides

Comprehensive M&A guides can also be extremely helpful as you work through the deal process. Below are two M&A guides that you might find useful.

7. Emptech’s Comprehensive Guide to Handling M&A

If you’re new to the field of M&A, you need a user-friendly guide to get you up to speed. Look no further than the workforce management software company Emptech, which has published its Comprehensive Guide to Handling M&A. This M&A guide discusses the types of M&A activity, the stages of M&A deals, the M&A due diligence process, and much more.

8. Baker McKenzie's Global Private M&A Guide

The multinational law firm Baker McKenzie has published a Global Private M&A Guide that covers legal concerns for private M&A in more than 40 countries. After you select the appropriate jurisdiction, the guide presents you with relevant information about deal structuring, negotiation, and the broader legal landscape (including antitrust concerns and tax considerations).