Mergers, Acquisitions Headed For Record Year

Corporate mergers worldwide are on track for a $1 trillion year.

Led by blockbuster deals, such as Ciba-Geigy AG’s $36.3 billion stock swap with Sandoz AG and Bell Atlantic Corp.’s $20.5 billion proposed merger with Nynex Corp., mergers and acquisitions announced so far this year total $492.6 billion.

That’s an increase of 27 percent over the first half of 1995, with activity accelerating during the second quarter of 1996, according to Securities Data Corp.