The coronavirus pandemic has hit mergers and acquisitions deal-making hard, and activity globally has fallen to it lowest monthly level since February 2002, according to research from data specialist Refinitiv.

Deals with a combined value of £55.7 billion were announced globally during April 2020, down 72 percent from March and the lowest monthly total since September 2002.

Year-to-date activity is at the lowest level in seven years. US$637.1 billion worth of deals were announced globally during the first four months of 2020, down 39 percent compared to last year, the lowest year-to-date level since 2013.

M&A involving a European target totalled £4.9 billion during April, dropping 91 percent from last month to the lowest monthly total since August 1992.

Deal value involving a UK target totalled £409.1 million from 35 deals in April, a level not seen since September 1985.

Cross-border M&A transactions worth a combined £14.8 billion were announced during April 2020, down 67 percent from last month and marking the lowest monthly total since February 2002. £186.6 billion worth of deals were announced during the first four months of 2020, down by one third compared to last year and the lowest year-to-date total since 2013.

Cornelia Andersson, Head of M&A and Capital Raising at Refinitiv, comments: "Over the course of the last 40 years of records, we've encountered a number of unprecedented events and we're now squarely back to the depths of mid-80s where pound sterling was at its most volatile and deal making was essentially stagnant.

"The full impact of this global economic lockdown on deal-making activity remains to be seen, but what is clear is that we've entered our next unprecedented event."

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The coronavirus pandemic has hit mergers and acquisitions deal-making hard, and activity globally has fallen to it lowest monthly level since February 2002, according to research from data specialist Refinitiv.

Deals with a combined value of £55.7 billion were announced globally during April 2020, down 72 percent from March and the lowest monthly total since September 2002.

Year-to-date activity is at the lowest level in seven years. US$637.1 billion worth of deals were announced globally during the first four months of 2020, down 39 percent compared to last year, the lowest year-to-date level since 2013.

M&A involving a European target totalled £4.9 billion during April, dropping 91 percent from last month to the lowest monthly total since August 1992.

Deal value involving a UK target totalled £409.1 million from 35 deals in April, a level not seen since September 1985.

Cross-border M&A transactions worth a combined £14.8 billion were announced during April 2020, down 67 percent from last month and marking the lowest monthly total since February 2002. £186.6 billion worth of deals were announced during the first four months of 2020, down by one third compared to last year and the lowest year-to-date total since 2013.

Cornelia Andersson, Head of M&A and Capital Raising at Refinitiv, comments: "Over the course of the last 40 years of records, we've encountered a number of unprecedented events and we're now squarely back to the depths of mid-80s where pound sterling was at its most volatile and deal making was essentially stagnant.

"The full impact of this global economic lockdown on deal-making activity remains to be seen, but what is clear is that we've entered our next unprecedented event."