US dealmaking has suffered its worst start to a year in a decade after policy volatility following Donald Trump’s election and escalating rhetoric over tariffs put a sudden chill on activity.
The overall number of US mergers and acquisitions collapsed nearly 30 per cent in January to 873 deals compared with a year ago, the lowest level since 2015, according to LSEG data. In dollar terms, deal activity fell 18 per cent compared with a year ago.
Dealmakers said the drop in activity reflected anxiety about the new US president’s economic and trade policies, which had tempered some of Wall Street’s early enthusiasm after his election in November.