“Storm” of acquisitions in Greece

According to the latest EU survey, Greece is ranked for the first time among the 10 most attractive destinations in the EU and more specifically in the 8th place behind the six strongest economies in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands) and Belgium.

The country’s advantages include quality of life, transport infrastructure, logistics and telecommunications, as well as human resources skills. In this context, high value transactions for acquisitions and mergers are recorded this year. It is characteristic that from the three privatizations – sale of 100% of DEPA Infrastructure, sale of 49% of HEDNO and concession of Egnatia Odos – the amount of 4.4 billion euros was collected, when for the whole of 2020 the value of transactions cumulatively for privatizations and private transactions reached 4.3 billion euros.

So far this year, the acquisitions of Chipita (1.65 billion), Pharmaten (1.6 billion), Wind (1 billion), Vivartia (600 million), Intrasoft International (235 million) stand out in the private sector. but also many others, such as the acquisition of Metlife, Singular logic and the Mouchalis group (kiosky’s). Everything shows that in 2021 the record of acquisitions and mergers in the Greek market that holds since 2008, will be surpassed, when transactions worth 9 billion euros were made.

This development will certainly not be worthwhile if the funds are not transformed into new jobs and employment growth, and not just a change in equity balances in companies.