News / Insights

Modest organic growth, an abundance of liquidity and a relative scarcity of suitable targets make a chemicals industry M&A cocktail to be mixed with care.

Pressure mounts for expansion through acquisition. The market knows this and reacts to type: valuations of the preferred acquisitions head north at speed and soon EBITDA multiples are at near historical levels.

And in the middle of all this noise, you’re trying to maintain your focus on making an acquisition critical to realizing your strategy moving forward. Welcome to the world of acquiring a chemicals company in a seller’s market.

If this all sounds challenging, the good news is there are still deals to be done if you know where to look. For example, despite uncertainties created by the incoming Trump administration, US chemical companies in various sectors remain attractive to buyers.

For many, consolidation will be the name of the game but not all sectors have yet matured in this regard, and opportunities may exist elsewhere, but you may have to be pro-active to leverage them.

Equally, the trail of mega-deals that has been a feature of the last two years will lead to a steady supply of acquisition opportunities once, or if, they clear the regulators. Anti-trust laws will force the new enlarged companies to divest certain businesses, that and a need to trim and shape their portfolio.

And a steady supply of auction prospects may continue to land on your desk. But, remember, you’re looking for suitable targets, those that offer the best strategic fit. Even if you fall lucky and find a company offering itself publicly for sale that is a perfect match, you will be hunting with the pack, limiting your chances of acquiring the ingredients of a really great deal - good fit and good price.

History tells us that the acquiring companies who achieve this perfect combination have understood early the value of specialist advice. This allows them to broaden their scope considerably. One way of easing the pressure of a seller’s market is to not restrict your ambitions solely to those who are currently selling. Instead, with the right guide, you can actually consider every company as a potential target.