The Romanian mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market recorded 124 transactions in the first half (H1) of 2024, with a total estimated value of USD 2.3 billion, down 6% in volume compared to the 132 transactions, estimated at USD 3.7 billion, recorded in the similar period of 2023, according to an analysis by EY Romania sent on Friday.However, the specialists say, the value of the M&A market remained largely stable, if the acquisition of Enel Group's Romanian operations by the Greek company Public Power Corporation for USD 1.3 billion, the only mega-deal in the first half of 2023, is not taken into account.In addition, the transaction value was not disclosed for 79% of transactions announced in H1 2024, compared to the historical average of 65% observed since 2018.The most active sectors by deal volume were Real Estate, Hospitality & Construction (23 deals), Energy & Utilities (21 deals) and Consumer Products & Retail (20 deals), followed by Health Care and Technology, each recording 11 deals. In the first half of 2024, there were only two transactions with disclosed value exceeding USD 100 million, down from the five recorded in 2023.In terms of country of origin, the most active investors came from the US - historically the most active investor (10 deals), Austria (8 deals), Germany (7), France and Poland (4 deals each), followed by Italy and the Netherlands, both with 3 deals each.Compared with the second half of 2023, the volume of M&A transactions in Romania increased by 13.8% in the first six months of 2024, while the decrease in this period compared with the same period last year reflects the global trend.According to the analysis, strategic investors maintained their dominant position in the Romanian M&A market in the first half of 2024, accounting for 93% of transaction volume, although they announced the same number of deals as in the first half of 2023 (115).The three largest transactions in the first half were: the sale of OTP Bank's Romanian operations to Banca Transilvania, the country's largest bank, for USD 375 million; the acquisition of five industrial parks by CTP, Europe's largest publicly listed developer of industrial and logistics properties in Europe, from Globalworth Real Estate Investments' full logistics portfolio, for approximately USD 184 million; the sale of the 80 MW Mihai Viteazu wind farm by Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola to Premier Energy for an estimated USD 94 million. The deal marked Iberdrola's withdrawal from the Romanian market.
Participation in cultural education activities continues to be limited, with the main barriers being difficult access, insufficient knowledge, and cost, the recently released Cultural Consumption Barometer 2024 shows. The report showed that many Romanians still associate culture with entertainment rather than with personal development or furthering their knowledge. The need for relaxation dominates in cultural […]
Roughly 84% of Romanians say that the pace of the state’s digitalization is slow or very slow, according to an Edge Institute & AtlasIntel study presented at the Digital Governance Summit 2025, which took place on Tuesday, November 25, at the presidential palace in Bucharest. The survey aims to capture the way citizens relate to […]
Romania’s Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) issued a negative opinion on the new bill regarding magistrates’ pensions. The move is only the latest development concerning a heated issue that led to tensions between the executive and the judiciary branch. CSM’s opinion is consultative, and the government led by Ilie Bolojan can still take responsibility for […]
Romania took the presidency of the Central European Initiative (or CEI) on Wednesday, November 26, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). The organization is a regional intergovernmental forum established in 1989, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. It gathers 17 Member States in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe […]
Trade between Romania and Poland continues to grow, with annual bilateral exchanges in goods now valued at more than EUR 12 billion, according to figures presented by the Polish-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PRBCC). The data was released during a reception in Bucharest marking Poland’s Independence Day and Romania’s National Day. Polish investments […]
As Romania moves closer to implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, local employers are preparing for one of the most consequential shifts in workplace regulation in over a decade. The directive, set for transposition by June 2026, introduces strict new rules on salary disclosure, pay reporting, and equal-pay verification, aiming to close persistent gender gaps […]
