Global merger and acquisitions activity in the first three quarters of 2012 added up to USD1,426.5bn, down by 19.4 per cent on the same period in 2011 (USD1,769.3bn), and representing the second lowest total since Q1-Q3 2009 (USD1,142bn), according to mergermarket.
Q3 2012 totalled USD433.5bn, down 20.2 per cent from Q2 2012 (USD543bn), resuming the free-fall briefly paused by a rally in Q2.
European deals in Q3 2012 had a total value of USD99.2bn, down 46.1 per cent from Q2 2012 (USD183.9bn) and a 40 per cent decrease on Q3 2011 (USD165.2bn). It was the lowest quarterly total for Europe since Q3 2009 (USD78.8bn), and the third lowest quarter on mergermarket record (since 2001).
US M&A in Q3 2012 amounted to USD178.3bn, down 3.4 per cent on Q2 2012 (USD184.6bn). The Q1-Q3 2012 US total of USD483.6bn was down by 23.1 per cent on the same period in 2011 (USD628.8bn), and was the lowest Q1-Q3 period since Q1-Q3 2010 (USD476.4bn).
The Asia Pacific region has seen M&A deals in 2012 adding up to USD241.8bn, down 14.8 per cent on Q1-Q3 2011. For Q3 2012 Asia Pacific was the only region to show an increase in activity, by 20.8 per cent from the previous quarter (USD73.4bn).
Q3 2012 saw USD192.2bn-worth of cross-border deals, down 23 per cent from the previous quarter (USD249.6bn) and 14.7 per cent from the same period last year (USD225.3bn).
Cross-border deals accounted for 44.3 per cent of all global M&A in Q3. Deals between regions added up to USD140.3bn in Q3 2012 and accounted for 32.4 per cent of all global M&A. They were down 20.5 per cent from Q2 2012 (USD176.5bn), and 9.7 per cent from the same period last year.
Deals in the energy, mining and utilities sector have contributed the lion’s share of overall 1,000 deal value so far this year, accounting for 26.6 per cent of total global deal value in Q1-Q3, more 900 than the next two sectors combined. The sector contributes four of the ten largest deals announced since the beginning of 2012.
Goldman Sachs continues to lead the global financial adviser league tables and all regions except Europe. All US-based financial adviser firms in the top ten global ranking registered lower total deal value compared to the same period in 2011.
