The growing importance of technology provides opportunities and risks for Swiss industrial companies. In addition to new possibilities in the context of automated production, the Internet of Things, for example, also provides new business areas. Furthermore, with the strong Swiss franc, the pressure for cost-effective production sites and high productivity remains. The M&A partnership Globalscope enables IFBC to support its clients in the worldwide search for suitable target companies and interested buyers.
Internet of Things (IoT), digitisation and Industry 4.0 are long-term growth factors in many industrial sectors. On the one hand, efficiency gains can be achieved through an increasing automation of the production and distribution networks can be optimised through digitisation. On the other hand, new application possibilities for products are emerging, such as the interconnection of household appliances, and products can be increasingly tailored to specific customer needs.
The automotive industry is undergoing a comprehensive transformation. The electrification of the global automobility is inevitably progressing. As technological development advances, the acceptance of autonomous driving will also increase, and our mobility behaviour will change fundamentally. Once the COVID-19 pandemic will have been overcome, alternative, more ecological mobility concepts such as car sharing will gain momentum again.
It is not only the growing world population, for which experts estimate a required increase of 50% of the global food supply by 2050 that poses major challenges to the food industry. Consumers and regulators are demanding a responsible, resource-efficient and sustainable production to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions as well as a sustainable waste regulation.
Furthermore, healthy and personalized food is becoming a crucial part of our social lifestyle.
The Swedish company ASSA ABLOY, the world’s leading supplier of access systems, increased its stake in the Swiss company agta record to 93% in August 2020. The acquisition strengthens ASSA ABLOY’s presence in Switzerland and in 16 more countries worldwide with direct presences of agta record.
In July 2020, the Austrian-based and at the SIX Swiss Exchange quoted sensor manufacturer ams acquired a majority stake of 71% of the outstanding shares of OSRAM. The German manufacturer of lighting systems constitutes an opportunity for ams to further expand its leading position in photonics.
In August 2020, the Swiss industrial group Sulzer acquired Haselmeier, the German specialist for drug delivery systems, at an enterprise value of EUR 100 million. The acquisition is intended to exploit growth opportunities in the fast-growing drug delivery market by integrating Haselmeier into Sulzer’s applicator systems division.
The following graphs analyse the industrial sector over the past five years. The graphs show the development of the average semi-annual transaction multiples as well as a comparison between the trading multiples of listed companies in individual sub-sectors and per region as of the end of June 2020. The analysis is based on the Bloomberg database. In terms of size, a distinction is made between companies/transactions with a market capitalization of below (low-mid market) or above (large companies) USD 150 million.
Prepare yourself early and optimally for your upcoming transaction with the help of the IFBC Transaction Check allowing you to improve transaction success.