Drop in operations in 2009. In 2009, the number of mergers and acquisitions in the world will collapse in value by 56% compared to 2008 figures, according to the latest estimates of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), published at the end of November. This constitutes the sharpest decline since 1995. Operations of this kind are expected to attain a level of 600 billion dollars, compared to around 1360 billion in 2008. This net decline is largely down to the 60% drop in the value of transactions carried out by businesses established within the OECD zone. These operations, worth 1000 billion dollars in this zone in 2008, are set to drop to 454 billion in 2009. Businesses based in the emerging countries were also hit. Mergers and acquisitions carried out by businesses based in South Africa, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Russia are also set to drop by 62%, from 121 billion dollars in 2008 to 46 billion in 2009. Operations into these countries from outside are also expected to decline sharply, dropping to just over 80 billion dollars, compared to just over 140 billion the previous year, the OECD stressed. More generally, direct foreign investments into the OECD countries are likely to drop to 600 billion euros in 2009, from 1020 billion in en 2008. (I.L./trans.fl)