The effects of the post-pandemic recovery continue to surprise. Liquidity and strong corporate results have led to a boom in mergers and acquisitions in the first half of 2021, according to an analysis by consulting firm EY, with a historic record of US$2.6 trillion, well above the US$926 billion for the same period last year and the average of US$1.6 trillion for the first half of the year recorded between 2015 and 2019. North America accounted for the most activity, with US$1.4 trillion, followed by Asia Pacific. By sector, technology continues to lead, but media and entertainment stand out due to the size of their transactions and the growth of mergers and acquisitions of ESG companies (those that meet environmental, social, and governance standards), especially companies related to renewable energy.