2015 was an extraordinary year for global M&A activity. Mergermarket recorded almost 17,000
transactions worth a remarkable US$4.3tn. This topped the previous
record set in 2014 by over 30%. The race for top performing sector
this year was very close. Energy Mining & Utilities won with
US$630bn in deal value; however, the top performers were only
separated by US$150bn. The other four sectors in order are: Pharma,
Medical and Biotech, Consumer, Financial Services and Industrial
Chemicals.
North America
Once again North American markets lead the way with almost 1/3
of global deals and nearly 50% of global deal value. The US$1.5tn
in deal value is a 36.5% increase over last year's numbers and
shows the North American market is quite healthy. Average deal size
continued to climb throughout the year, with average deal size
reaching an all-time high of US$389.6m, solidifying 2015 as the
year of the mega deal. In spite of the drop in oil prices and
China's unstable
