Six in 10 CEOs shift to proactive portfolio management

They plan to pursue M&A and IPO transactions.

Six in 10 CEOs in Singapore are shifting to a proactive portfolio management approach, acknowledging that traditional strategic planning no longer meets the demands of a fast-paced external environment.

To stay ahead of the curve, nine in 10 CEOs plan some form of transaction over the next 12 months.

Most of them intend to pursue mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals (48%) or investments in initial public offerings (49%).

Additionally, 33% plan to actively pursue strategic partnerships with third parties.

On the flip side, EY also found that more than half (62%) of CEOs have paused or cancelled a transaction in the past 12 months.

The top reasons for doing so were geopolitical uncertainty (Singapore 20%, global 18%), valuation gaps (Singapore 18%, global 15%), and regulatory uncertainty (Singapore 15%, global 16%).