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Merger and acquisition activity usually starts out the year slowly and then builds. Bloomberg has reported that last month was the best January for deals globally since 2000 with $275 billion worth of transactions. So if past patterns hold, 2019 could be a very big year for dealmaking. Claire Poole explains in her weekly CDT Roundup.
Mid-sized private equity deals were at record levels last year: up in volume by 15.1 percent and in value by 14.8 percent. But capital raised slipped a bit and the number of funds dropped more than 20 percent. Does that mean a mid-market slow-down is coming? Maybe not. Visible optimism still rules the markets, as Claire Poole explains.
M&A in the U.S. oil and gas exploration and production industry was hot in 2018, hitting its highest total in four years at $84.3 billion, according to Drillinginfo. Eight of the year’s top 10 deals were in the second half. But thanks to sliding oil prices, fourth-quarter deal value came in at $20.9 billion, a bit off from its third quarter 2018 high.
With the beginning of every new year comes a new round of data showing how dealmaking fared in the previous year – and projections of what’s to come. Last year was the most active year ever recorded for private equity-backed buyout deals, according to data from Preqin. Claire Poole has more insights from 2018 and highlights the deals of the past week.
The midstream energy markets have been difficult, if not volatile, for some time now. In addition to the final deals of 2018, Claire Poole's latest CDT Weekly Roundup discusses a new analysis by Morgan Stanley's Tom Abrams, who suggests 10 things to watch for among midstreams in the coming year.
As the year ends, at least one trend is becoming clear: private equity funds are getting larger, generating a need for more and bigger investments. In her weekly Roundup, The Lawbook’s Claire Poole shows how that will likely affect dealmaking in 2019.
With a new year barreling in, what do we expect of 2019? Well, maybe a slow start, at least in IPOs. New issues are likely down for 2018, and though their value is up, that might not continue. Still, in a slow starting season there are a few issues that may hit the market soon. The Lawbook's Claire Poole has the names and numbers in her weekly CDT Roundup
Healthcare-centered private equity is on the brink of another record year. According to newly released data from Preqin, 585 healthcare-related deals had been announced through November worth $56 billion. The Lawbook's Claire Poole explains how Texas dealmakers fit into the picture, along with her weekly assessment of Texas deals.
The energy sector is, and probably always will be, the leader in deals made in Texas. But don't forget about technology. Tech is the third largest business sector for deals in Texas, and its influence is growing. The Lawbook's Claire Poole has the tech deal numbers along with last week's overall dealmaking.
Heading into the thick of the holiday season, as well as the year's end, two separate trends may be emerging: first, middle market deals are beginning to thin; second, PE is gaining influence fast enough to account for half the M&A market in the next five years. The Lawbook's Claire Poole explains in her weekly Corporate Deal Tracker Roundup.
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