Mergers and Acquisitions in 2013 - Review and Analysis

Quite a lot of action was seen on the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) front in the FX field last year. After the particularly lean year of 2012, in 2013 it seemed as if market leaders armed with big pockets sought to take advantage of any opportunity to take over the businesses of their struggling competitors.

A prime example of the M&A trend last year is the 2013 FX saga that should be taught in every business school around the world. In April, FXCM made an unsolicited proposal to GAIN Capital's shareholders, offering to acquire the control in the company and merge the two firms into the biggest FX broker in the world. GAIN Capital's management successfully rebuffed what was likely seen as FXCM's hostile takeover attempt and quickly acquired GFT in a brilliant surprise move.

In our Q4 2013 Industry Report, Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Read this Term Magnates examines the undercurrents that caused last year to be an especially fruitful year for mergers and acquisitions.Why did big companies go on the hunt for weaker competitors and what drove smaller firms to seek a buyout. Additionally, we used stock prices, trading volumes and other metrics to evaluate the success and worth of FX business purchases.

This analysis, and many other interesting articles and much more data, all crucial resources to successfully understanding the FX industry at the start of 2014, are what makes the Forex Magnates Q4 2013 Industry Report a must have for any serious player in the Forex market. The report can be previewed here.