European companies embarked on a frantic spending spree in April, creating the highest monthly value of announced mergers and acquisitions for the region, driven by the battle for Dutch bank ABN Amro.

The last week of the month became the busiest seven days to date for M&A worldwide. Announced transactions in Europe were valued at $435bn (€322bn) in April, 32% higher than the previous record in March, according to data provider Dealogic.