M&A Report (July 2019)

China outbound M&A activities came to a freeze in the second quarter, dragging outbound dealmaking to USD 20.4bn (114 deals) in 1H19, recording the lowest value since 2011 amid uncertainty from the escalating trade war. Even Europe, the all-time most popular destination, saw less Chinese interest with a 64% decrease in deal value in 1H19.

With the Mainland China economy continuing to grow at roughly 7% year-on-year, businesses and consumers continue to look positively into the future. As disposable incomes rise, Chinese consumers are spending more of their money on upgrading their lifestyles, including travel and entertainment. Today entertainment expenses now represent roughly 11% of the monthly household income in China.

The China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Cooperation and Development Fund (CPDFund) headquarters is officially established in Macao today.

The Hong Kong government should improve tax policies to attract further talent and capital and help companies benefit from the “Greater Bay Area” plan, according to Price waterhouse Coopers.

Las Vegas Sands’ Venetian represented precisely what Macau’s government had in mind when it began casino liberalisation, so it got its own version.

Macao is gearing up to host PATA Travel Mart, Asia-Pacific’s premier travel trade show, from 13th to 15th September 2017. This prestigious event will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with an exciting business program.

A group of investors led by a company backed by Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma agreed to acquire the Hong Kong and Macau operations of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) for $1.7 billion.

Hong Kong’s ATM network has been hit with a surge in withdrawals by customers using China UnionPay bank cards in the wake of facial recognition technology being introduced at cash dispensing machines in Macau.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and LeSportsHK, a leading ecosystem-based over-the-top sports broadcaster in Hong Kong, today announced a multiyear partnership to provide the most expansive NBA coverage ever in Hong Kong and Macau.