Big-ticket deals at 5-year high amid rise in dollar

More than half of global firms plan to make acquisitions over next year

The current wave of corporate takeovers and mergers is set to grow as the appetite for deals among global executives hits a five-year high in the wake of the strong dollar and low oil prices, a survey found on Monday.

A striking 56 percent of global companies assessed say they intend to make acquisitions in the coming year, up from 40 percent in October, consulting firm EY said in its half-yearly report on corporate deal-making. That's the first time since 2010 that more than half of executives say they plan to make an acquisition in the next 12 months.