According to a report released by international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers on the 17th, the number and amount of mergers and acquisitions in China’s logistics industry hit a record high in 2021.

     The report pointed out that in 2021, the number of transactions in China’s logistics industry increased by 38% year-on-year, reaching a record 190 cases, achieving positive growth for three consecutive years; The transaction value rose sharply by 1.58 times year-on-year to 224.7 billion yuan (RMB, the same below). In 2021, the transaction frequency is as high as one case every 2 days, and the pace of mergers and acquisitions in the industry is accelerating, of which integrated logistics and logistics intelligent informatization have become the most concerned areas.

     The report pointed out that in 2021, the number of transactions in the field of logistics intelligent informatization once again led the industry, and at the same time, the rapid growth of cross-border trade under the new crown epidemic brought opportunities for mergers and acquisitions in the integrated logistics field, ranking first in transaction amount and setting a new record.

     Specifically, in 2021, 75 mergers and acquisitions occurred in the field of logistics intelligent informatization, and 11 of the 64 financing enterprises obtained two consecutive financings within one year, and the transaction amount increased by 41% to about 32.9 billion yuan. The report believes that the record number and amount of transactions fully demonstrate investors’ confidence in the field of logistics intelligent informatization. Among them, the intelligent segmentation of logistics equipment is the most eye-catching, with the number of transactions in 2021 increasing significantly by 88% year-on-year to 49 cases of the peak in the past six years, involving transaction amounts that increased by 34% year-on-year to about 10.7 billion yuan, and 7 companies obtained two consecutive financings in one year.

    It is worth noting that in 2021, M&A transactions in China’s logistics industry showed a large-scale trend, and the number of transactions above 100 million yuan increased rapidly. Among them, the number of medium-sized transactions climbed by 30% to 90, accounting for 47% of the total number; Large transactions surged 76% to 37; Mega deals increased to a record 6. In 2021, the two-way drive of investment and financing of head enterprises will increase synchronously, driving the average transaction volume of large transactions to increase by 11% year-on-year to 2.832 billion yuan, and driving the overall average transaction volume to climb steadily.

     A Chinese mainland and Partner of Transaction Services for the Logistics Industry in Hong Kong, said that in 2022, in the face of the unpredictable global political and economic situation, investor risk aversion will heat up, and the M&A transaction market in China’s logistics industry may be affected. However, with the support of multiple forces such as frequent favorable policies, iterative promotion of technology, and steady increase in demand for commercial flows, China’s logistics industry will still attract the attention of domestic and foreign investors, and the trading market will show a more active level, especially in the fields of intelligent logistics informatization, integrated logistics, cold chain logistics, express delivery and express transportation.