There has been a slowing down in the consolidation process since the start of 2008 but it was not until August 2008 and the financial meltdown that this trend became manifest. The reason for the fall in activity is the credit squeeze and resultant lack of finance which first became apparent in August 2007 and more recently the lack of confidence that the current recession will be short and shallow. However our records show that the acquisitiveness of the major companies fell off in 2008 before the financial meltdown. Despite this we have seen merger activity increase in the last three months on the same period of 2008. So will the green shoots of consolidation that are now starting to develop grow and flower? Well this month the announcement that UTC will acquire GE Fire and Security for $1.82 billion, making this the largest deal in the last five years, confirmed at a stroke that […]