Evaluating synergy in mergers and acquisitions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: The paper aims is to present synergy as a relevant source of information about goodwill, contributing to a more precise, balance-sheet evaluation (profitability) of a merger. Based on the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market analysis, it was possible to assess this effectiveness assessment among individual companies during the COVID-19 pan-demic. This, in turn, was used to determine the methodology for evaluating the synergy effect and the directions of changes in these transactions in individual sectors. Methodology/approach: The article consists of methods of comparative and descrip-tive analysis based on a review of the domestic and foreign literature and a critical assessment of the results from the exploration of data presented by five recognized financial and accounting rating and advisory agencies. Findings: By determining the determinants of the success of M&A transactions, it was possible to assess the impact of synergy on the number and value of these processes carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, with their potential negative and positive economic consequences. The presented diagnoses and conclusions concern both the international and Polish M&A markets based on aggregated and sectoral data. Practical implications: The article points out the discrepancies in the evaluation of synergy during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the number and value of mer-gers and acquisitions, which are of cognitive importance for the development of poten-tial synergy and building capital concentration. Originality: The article is the first attempt to evaluate the synergy in M&A during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of these events from economic and record-keeping points of view and from a comparative and descriptive analysis perspective.