Best January For Global M&A Since 2011

Worldwide announced M&A totals US$232.9 billion so far during 2015, up 28% from January 2014 and the highest January total since 2011.

Activity in Asia Pacific totals US$99.5 billion, marking the best annual start in the region on record. M&A targeting European companies totals US$42.2 billion, down 1% from January 2014, while US M&A is currently 13% below January 2014 levels at US$73.8 billion. Asia-Pacific deals account for 43% of activity by value, up from 20% last January. US and European deals account for 32% and 18%, respectively.

Best January for Cross-border M&A since 2006

Cross-border M&A activity totals US$75.6 billion so far during 2015, just topping January 2014’s US$75.0 billion level and marking the highest January total since 2006. US companies acquired the most foreign targets with 118 outbound M&A deals worth US$50.3 billion, accounting for 46% of January’s cross-border M&A total. The United Kingdom was the most targeted country by value, followed by the United States. Deals in the financial sector account for 25% of 2015 cross-border M&A.

January 2015 Mega Deal total at 4-Year High

Eight mega-deals worth US$5 billion or more have been announced so far this year, compared to just three deals in January 2014. The combined value of these deals is US$114.0 billion, a level not surpassed since January 2011 when 9 deals totalled US$165.0 billion. Mega-deals account for 49% of this year’s worldwide announced M&A activity by value, up from 18% in January 2014.

Of this year’s eight mega-deals, three were in the Financial sector, two were Telecoms deals and there was one each in the Energy & Power, Materials and Healthcare sectors.

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