# Professor Robert Salomon identifies several causes for increased M&A activity over the past year

1 Faculty News January 9, 2016 ![The Atlantic logo](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/con_031336.jpg?itok=T4ciY3Gl)>

Excerpt from [The Atlantic](http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/2015-mergers-acquisitions/423096/) -- "'Interest rates are at historic lows ... companies had lots of capital available to them to borrow to engage in deals,' says [Robert Salomon](http://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/robert-salomon), an associate professor of management at New York University’s Stern School of Business. 'The second factor that you can’t ignore is that corporate balance sheets have a lot more cash: The amount of cash on them \[is\] at an all-time high.'"

[Read more](http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/2015-mergers-acquisitions/423096/)