M&A activity in North America and Europe totaled $2.93 trillion across 19,510 deals in 2017—the fourth consecutive year of at least $2.9 trillion in value. Dealmaking continues to receive tailwinds from high cash reserves on corporate balance sheets, ample private equity dry powder, and a sanguine global economic outlook. In PitchBook's 2017 Annual M&A Report, our analysts delve into additional key drivers behind this still-strong cycle.
Key takeaways:
- In 2017, the M&A value was $2.93 T. This is the fourth consecutive year M&A value exceeded $2.9T
- 17.8% of all M&A was within technology, an all-time high
- 12.3% of European M&A volume was cross-border