Morgan Stanley Strategists See M&A Surging as Confidence Builds

Global mergers and acquisitions will jump 50% this year as corporate confidence recovers and economic growth holds up, according to Morgan Stanley.

Health care, real estate, and technology are among the most attractive sectors for M&A, strategists led by Andrew Sheets wrote in report summarizing a survey of Morgan Stanley equity analysts across 150 global industries.

Potential acquisition candidates include Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Lumentum Holdings Inc. in the US, as well as ITV Plc, Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc, Basic-Fit NV and Eutelsat Communications in Europe, the firm said, citing quantitative screens that looked for companies with ...