DUBLIN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The first half of 2017 has proven to be a dynamic period for Ireland's merger and acquisition market, with the deals having a combined value of 8.2 billion euros, according to a report from a law firm on Thursday.
The report published by the Dublin-based William Fry law firm showed there were 60 mergers and acquisitions involving Irish companies in the first half of the year.
The report also showed private equity activity has gathered momentum in the first half of the year, with 18 transactions worth 7.5 billion euros, representing the highest H1 figure on record.
The financial services sector saw the bulk of deal value during H1 with 7.1 billion euros spent across seven deals, according to the report.
However, the majority of this figure was associated with one deal, Dubai Aerospace's 6.9 billion-euro acquisition of Dublin-based AWAS Aviation Capital, the report said.
Shane O' Donnell, head of William Fry's Corporate Department, said Ireland continues to be one of the strongest performers in Europe in the foreign direct investment sector despite geopolitical uncertainty instigated by Brexit and the U.S. presidential election.
But he said the ongoing period of uncertainty between the European Union and and the United Kingdom poses the greatest risk to dealmaking in 2017 and beyond.
Volatility will inevitably cause some dealmakers to put transactions on hold until a clearer picture emerge, O' Donnell said.
"In response to this changing deal climate, it is essential that Ireland focuses on further enhancing its competitiveness to ensure it can capitalise on investment at both a domestic and international level," he said.
