NEW YORK -- Uncertainty fueled by U.S. tariffs has contributed to a drop in global mergers and acquisitions to a 20-year low, dashing earlier hopes of a deregulation-driven "Trump bump."
A total of 2,482 M&A deals were announced in March according to Dealogic -- the lowest monthly tally since May 2005, and a bigger slump than those that followed past shocks such as the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Activity ticked up slightly in April, with 2,513 deals, but this was still well below last year's monthly average of 3,457.
