Jefferies: 10 Buyout Targets To Own During The M&A Boom

In a new report, analysts at Jefferies discussed the current merger and acquisition environment. The report included a breakdown of recent deals and a list of potential buyout targets that investors should consider.

Changing M&A Philosophy

M&A activity has been steadily rising in recent years, and analysts note that it is now approaching pre-crisis highs.

However, analysts point out that the spirit of recent M&A activity is different than it was during past M&A booms. Instead of acquiring trophy assets, growth targets or sources of new revenue streams, analysts see many more companies acquiring targets with the intention of lowering operational costs.

“This is a significant change in M&A philosophy and is a recognition that global growth is unlikely to be so strong that companies need to increase capacity through greenfield expansion,” analysts explain.

Latest Deals

Just last week, FedEx Corporation FDX 0.71% announced that it was buying TNT Express in an all-cash deal that will combine the third and fourth-largest European delivery services.

This latest deal comes on the heels of several other recent blockbusters. Royal Dutch Shell Plc (NYSE: RDS-A)(NYSE: RDS-B) made a 45 billion pound sterling offer to buy BG Group and potentially form the world’s largest LNG producer. Holcim and Lafarge have a 41 billion-euro deal on the table to potentially form the world’s largest cement company. Finally, Warren Buffett played a critical role in the recent headline-grabbing Heinz/Kraft Foods Group Inc KRFT 1.01% deal.

Buyout Targets

Jefferies recommends buying the following 10 potential M&A targets:

1. Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ARNA 0.22%
2. Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. LXRX 0.56%
3. Seattle Genetics, Inc. SGEN 2.18%
4. Sangamo Biosciences, Inc. SGMO 0.97%
5. DHT Holdings Inc DHT 2.02%
6. BioScrip Inc BIOS 2.96%
7. OraSure Technologies, Inc. OSUR 0.15%
8. Sonus Networks, Inc. SONS 0.26%
9. NuVasive, Inc. NUVA 1.12%
10. Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc MDRX 0.65%

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