APN and Adelaide Brighton were among a list of 16 companies highlighted by Credit Suisse analysts as potential targets. Others included Beach Energy, Caltex Australia,DUET Group, Graincorp, Metcash, Myer Holdings, OrotonGroup, Prime Media Group,SAI Global, Senex Energy, Southern Cross Media Group, STW Communications Group and Whitehaven Coal.
Credit Suisse argues Australia is in its fourth merger and acquisition cycle in 20 years and history shows it could be only halfway through. Strong corporate balance sheets and the low cost of debt mean there is no reason why deals should not proceed.
"We think the ruler has been run over all of these potential ideas in the past, and as the environment for M&A continues to improve they should be more seriously considered in the future," Credit Suisse analyst Hasan Tevfik says.
A personalised tool to help users track selected stocks. Delivering real-time notifications on price updates, announcements, and performance stats on each to help make informed investment decisions.
(20min delay)