All topics related to sustainability are increasingly influencing M transactions. In some M projects, transactions have even been cancelled due to ESG issues.

What is generally understood by ESG? E stands for Environment (sustainability), S for Social (social responsibility) and G for Governance (corporate governance).

It can increasingly be observed that investors are placing more value on sustainable and responsible investments. For the past fiscal year 2019, more than 120 billion euros were invested in such ESG-compliant companies. A significant increase compared to the fiscal year 2018; here the volume was still 47 billion euros.

The current corona crisis is accelerating this development even further and it will hardly come as a surprise if these sustainably oriented company participations continue to increase. Many reasons speak for such a development. What changes will we recognize in this regard in the near future?

More creative M constellations will be observed more regularly, i.e. company mergers with an ESG background may only be understood in the detailed analysis. The entire value chain and its sustainability aspect thus move into the foreground. If the company lacks such ESG expertise, M deals can provide a remedy. Recently, Deutsche Börse acquired the American ESG data provider Institutional Shareholder Services, among others. Deutsche Börse obviously wants to continue on the growth path towards sustainable investments and expand strongly.

It is also not surprising that ESG due diligence is receiving increasing attention. Any existing ESG risks should be avoided. A resulting burden on the income statement and the existing liquidity can have serious consequences for the company. The ESG audits are therefore becoming more and more detailed and take more time and effort. A poor ESG performance can even lead to an entire transaction being cancelled.

It is therefore not surprising that significant ESG risks also influence the company valuation. If such ESG risks exist, this is likely to have a negative impact on the purchase price to be achieved. The expectations of investors are increasing significantly here. It is important to initiate the development towards a sustainable company in advance and to strengthen the sustainability aspect. An increasing interest in ESG-compliant companies on the investor side also illustrates this. Existing ESG risks can also increasingly have an impact on acquisition financing and, in the worst case, lead to financing being rejected or financing costs increasing significantly.

ESG - Sustainability - M

Do you have any questions or need support on the topics of company acquisition / company sale? We can be reached on 02150 7058 210, by e-mail at office@starkpartners.de or on the web at www.starkpartners.de.

#Sell company #Company succession #Company for sale #Corporate Finance #Carve-out #Sell company #Multiplier valuation #Company sale #M consulting #Mittelstand #Company valuation #Restructuring #Transformation #Sanierung #ESG #Sustainability