Mergers and acquisitions involving Japanese companies reached an all-time high in the six months through June, according to data from financial research firms, suggesting that companies are gearing up to withstand the rigors of international competition.
A record 1,196 M&A deals were announced in the first half of 2005, up 19.2 percent from the same period last year, according to a survey released Monday by Thomson Financial.
The total deal value increased roughly 2.2-fold to $108.85 billion, or about 12 trillion yen, reaching its highest level since the first half of 2000, according to the operating unit of Thomson Corp. of the U.S., adding that the M&A market in Japan outpaced that of Britain for the first time in terms of volume and value.