• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Finance

2015 Is Now the Biggest Year Ever for M&A

By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 4, 2015, 8:01 AM ET
Pfizer Inc. Headquarters As They Agree To Combine With Allergan Plc In $160 Billion Deal
A pedestrian walks past Pfizer Inc. headquarters in New York, U.S., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2015. Pfizer Inc. and Allergan Plc agreed to combine in a record $160 billion deal, creating a drugmaking behemoth called Pfizer Plc with products from Viagra to Botox and a low-cost tax base. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Michael Nagle—Bloomberg via Getty Images

It’s a banner year for mergers and acquisitions, as the total volume of M&A activity reached an all time high in 2015.

A flurry of smaller deals announced Wednesday put deal volume at $4.304 trillion, just ahead of 2007’s previous record of $4.296 trillion, according to a Wall Street Journal report, citing data from Dealogic. The deals also put the global economy on pace for roughly $4.7 trillion worth of M&A to go through this year. That would obviously set another all-time high, though adjusted for inflation, 2007 would still hold the record.

Health care and tech have been neck and neck with one other all year to be the No. 1 sector for deal making.

A number of factors, from continued low interest rates, to an improving economy, and U.S. companies like Pfizer (PFE) seeking domiciles with lower corporate tax rates, have contributed to the M&A boom.

About the Author
By Chris Matthews
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

EnergyEnergy Industry
Trump despises wind farms so much he’s paying a French energy giant $1 billion to stop building them and invest in natural gas instead
By Jordan BlumMarch 23, 2026
59 minutes ago
Middle EastRussia
Putin is the real winner in Trump’s Iran war as it puts Russian oil back on the map
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 23, 2026
3 hours ago
CryptoBitcoin
Bitcoin climbs as Trump grants five days for Iran negotiations
By Emily Nicolle, Melos Ambaye and BloombergMarch 23, 2026
3 hours ago
BankingIran
Iran issues its largest-ever currency denomination as accelerating inflation ravages a financial sector deemed a ‘Ponzi scheme’ even before the war
By Jason MaMarch 23, 2026
4 hours ago
Toilet paper on empty supermarket shelves, lockdown panic buying
EconomyIran
The great toilet paper panic is back as Japan starts stockpiling
By Eva RoytburgMarch 23, 2026
4 hours ago
trump
C-SuiteBook Excerpt
I’ve known Trump for 25 Years and advised 5 presidents. Here’s the playbook he’s been running—and why underestimating him is a mistake
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianMarch 23, 2026
4 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.