‘Big Tech’ deals accelerate amid the pandemic

Regulatory scrutiny is not affecting the appetite for acquisition

Alphabet, Amazon, Google Facebook and Microsoft have announced 19 deals so far this year, reports the Financial Times, the highest rate since 2015. The companies are at or near record valuations, have huge amounts of cash, and are looking to position themselves as the ‘winners of Covid-19’, according to one source. Opportunities have appeared as smaller companies have come under pressure from the pandemic, and most acquisitions have involved start-ups, as well as headline deals like Facebook’s $5.7 billion stake in Indian telecoms operator Reliance Jio. Antitrust advocates have warned that opportunistic deals risk widening the gap between the largest companies and their smaller competitors, but are sceptical that regulators can rein in spending, says the paper. Read more (£)