KPMG CORPORATE FINANCE has published a survey on cross-border mergers and acquisitions in 2000, based on statistics issued by COMPUTASOFT RESEARCH LIMITED. According to the data, growth in this type of operation was exceptional last year, with an increase in volume of 22% on 1999. Thus, over 7,300 cross-border operations (acquisitions, shareholdings and joint-ventures) were realised for a record $1,223 billion. The previous year, the value of these operations only amounted to $801 bn. The average value of transactions also increased, going from $134 million in 1999 to 167 million last year. The survey specifies that: a) Western European countries were by far the largest acquirers of assets outside their region of origin. In 2000, their foreign investments amounted to $320 billion, 224 of which towards the United States against only 88 bn invested by the United States in Europe; b) the United Kingdom and France were the most active, exceeding $96 bn and $43 bn respectively; c) ten of the thirty largest transactions at world level were realised by Europe towards North America; d) the most active sector was that of telecommunications, target for a third of all operations, followed by the financial sector with $158 bn in acquisitions. The computer/electronics sector, for its part, had the highest growth rate, with an increase of 164% of activities linked to the sector.