Japan M&A record of $232 billion in first half fuels Asia deals rebound

From Yahoo Finance: 2025-06-26 01:36:00

Japan is leading Asia’s M&A rebound in 2025 with a record $232 billion in deals in the first half. Management reforms and low interest rates are driving the trend. Japanese deals tripled in value, reaching $650 billion in Asia. Government calls for better governance and outbound acquisitions will continue igniting mega deals.

Toyota and Nippon Telegraph took private listed subsidiaries in billion-dollar deals. SoftBank led a $40 billion fundraising for OpenAI. Japanese firms continue seeking growth opportunities abroad. Despite global uncertainty, Japanese financial institutions are making major deals. Investment appetite remains strong, but valuation expectations may slow dealmaking.

Japanese companies are under pressure to offload non-core business units. Convenience store operator Seven & I Holdings sold peripheral units to Bain Capital for $5.5 billion. Carve-outs of non-core assets will continue. Private equity firms have a strong pipeline of potential deals, including the acquisition of cybersecurity firm Trend Micro.

Potential deals in the second half include Bain Capital and EQT bidding for Trend Micro, valued at $8.54 billion. Private equity funds are promising buyers for taking listed companies private. Overall, Japan’s M&A momentum is expected to continue fueled by corporate reforms and outbound acquisitions.



Read more at Yahoo Finance: Japan hits M&A record of $232 billion, driving Asia deals rebound