We may only be halfway through, but November is already the largest month for M&A in over a year, with the raft of multi-billion dollar transactions across regions and sectors providing a clear sign that market confidence is returning.

The total value of announced M&A globally, stands at $236.1bn (€158.4bn) for November so far, up 44% on the $163.7bn for the whole of last month and 65% up on the $142.8bn for the whole of November last year, according to Dealogic.