As mainland enterprises' appetite for overseas mergers and acquisitions (M&As) continues to grow, their involvement in cross-border transactions has added new dynamics to the accounting profession.
According to Derek Lai, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu financial advisory services national chief operating officer, outbound mainland M&A transactions have created new opportunities for the profession.
'From the an accountancy angle, there are attractive opportunities to provide services to companies involved in outbound M&As, including due diligence, integration, buy and sell side advisory, valuation and price allocation,' Lai says. There is also a demand for forensic accounting to check on individuals and company backgrounds. Accounting professionals with cross-border transaction and tax knowledge are also in demand.
According to Dealogic, which monitors international M&A activities, globally, last year, the mainland was the largest M&A outbound investor in energy and power and the second largest for materials. With more than US$42 billion spent abroad last year, inland companies rank third among the biggest foreign M&A investor nations after the United States and France. In Asia, the mainland was the top M&A investor last year.
Lai says as mainland outbound M&A activity is expected to continue, the accountancy profession will be called upon to advise and provide technical help across industries ranging from natural resources to automotive, equipment, and high-technology industries.
He says outbound M&A remains an area where there are many expectations. However, mainland companies can expect to experience competition for target companies from India and South Korea.