Fewer mergers and acquisitions among Swiss SMEs

SMEs have less desire to tie the knot, mergers are down Keystone-SDA

Mergers and acquisitions involving Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are declining: 179 such transactions were counted in 2024, a number 9% lower than the 196 in 2023 and far from the 216 in 2022.

In particular, acquisitions made by Swiss firms within the country have declined (down by 28% to 48), data released by the consulting firm Deloitte Switzerland shows. In contrast, cross-border transactions have remained stable.

“At the moment, foreign investors’ appetite for Swiss companies is limited,” Deloitte experts say in the report. “For their part, Swiss SME entrepreneurs are reluctant to sell their companies and are intensifying acquisition activities abroad. The most important factors influencing these developments are the resilience of the Swiss economy and the strength of the franc.”

The most dynamic cantons on the so-called mergers and acquisitions (M&A) front in order of activity are Zurich, Aargau, Zug, Lucerne and Bern. Twenty percent of Swiss corporate mergers occurred in industry, 16% in business services, 15% in healthcare and consumer goods, 11% in IT and construction, 7% in finance and 2% in media.

Adapted from Italian by DeepL/ac

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