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AstraZeneca-Alexion deal pushes global M&A over the $1tn mark for second consecutive quarter

The deal between AstraZeneca and Alexion comes amid a slew of M&A megadeals. Deals recorded since July total $2.1tn, according to Refinitiv data

British drug giant AstraZeneca’s $38.8bn bid for Boston-based pharmaceutical company Alexion pushed deal values to $1tn in the fourth quarter
British drug giant AstraZeneca’s $38.8bn bid for Boston-based pharmaceutical company Alexion pushed deal values to $1tn in the fourth quarter Photo: Getty Images

Mergers and acquisitions recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 reached $1tn, making it the second consecutive trillion-dollar quarter, according to Refinitiv.

In a 14 December statement, the data provider said that the quarter was boosted by British drug giant AstraZeneca’s $38.8bn bid for Boston-based pharmaceutical company Alexion. Since July, the deals struck have totalled $2.1tn in value, making it the second highest second-half total since Refinitiv’s records started in the 1970s.

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