Global mergers and acquisitions

The value of global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) fell by 35% in the first half of 2009 to $1,140 billion, according to Dealogic, a financial-analysis firm. The number of deals had been steadily shrinking, but they collapsed by more than 15% in the three months to June. Buy-outs by private-equity firms have been hit particularly hard by the recession. Their value fell by 82% to $24 billion in the six months to June. Australia, the most important location for M&A after America and Britain, saw a big increase in activity in the first half. So did the Netherlands and South Africa. Finance remains the richest industry for M&A, accounting for almost a fifth of deals by value, followed by health care and mining. ... (link)