The industry has so far avoided the hard landing that many predicted as government largesse runs out and interest rates increase. However, we do see a long tail of minor bumps and dips as the impact of the Covid pandemic and subsequent excesses gets worked out over time. Keep your seatbelts on, just in case.
At the end of August, the Target Report focuses on M&A activity in the print-centric business segments over the past 12 months. This edition also includes the prior four years to provide a visual bridge over the pandemic period. Here is a snapshot of the biggest deal activity trends taking place in the industry.
Viewed from the perspective of M&A activity in the printing, packaging and related graphic communication industries, the pandemic is fading quickly into the rearview mirror, and most printing and packaging businesses are doing well. However, there are some ripples on the water. Deal counts are down, bankruptcies and non-bankruptcy closures have ticked up in the past six months, and the impact of higher interest rates is rolling in. Packaging is still the most active segment but has cooled down considerably. The commercial print, direct mail, and wide format segments are not as active, but desirable candidates still attract a number of suitors and deals are getting done; and more…
On this episode of The Week that Was, Quad unveiled Quad MKE; Zumbiel Packaging installed an HP PageWide T470S; the latest edition of The Target Report is out now; and Tecnau has acquired all operating activities of Sitma Machinery.