European mid-market M&A expected to increase in next six months - KPMG survey

February 26 - Forbes.com - European mid-market mergers and acquisitions are expected to increase in coming months, although the private equity sector is less confident than the corporate sector, a survey said.

Research by KPMG International showed that 58 pct of private equity respondents expect M&A to grow in the next six months, compared with 67 pct of the corporate sector respondents. Read More.

Canadian M&A activity hits record in 2006

February 26 - CBC News - Canadian companies were involved in a record $257 billion worth of merger and acquisition activity in 2006, according to an investment bank that tracks takeovers.

That eclipsed the previous M&A record of $234 billion set in 2000 during the height of the dot-com boom.

Investment bank Crosbie and Co. said private equity groups are taking a keen interest in the takeover market. Read More.

Takeovers off to good start in 2007

The rumors about a potential takeover of aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. this past week created an enthusiastic buzz on Wall Street that acquisitions this year will smash the $4 trillion record set in 2006.

Seven weeks into 2007, the amount of money for takeovers brokered by investment banks and private equity firms is trending above last year. In the U.S., market researcher Dealogic said volume has soared 86 percent to $228.6 billion from last year, while global volume rose 36 percent to $477.4 billion. Read More.

Builder-sector M&A on hold

February 9 - MarketWatch.com - Merger-and-acquisition activity in the home-building industry has ground to a standstill, but companies continue to eye deals and will likely kick off a "frenzy" of transactions late this year or early in 2008, an M&A expert said Friday at the International Builders Show.

Home-building firms have been cutting back their land positions, limiting exposure to overheated markets and adding cash to balance sheets since the housing market went into decline last year, positioning themselves for recovery, said Jody Kahn, who works with Michael P. Kahn & Associates in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The firm has been involved in 86 home-building M&A deals. Read More.

2007: A record year for oil mergers?

February 9 - CNNMoney.com - Spring is less than six weeks away, but love is in the air again in the nation's oil and gas industry. Fueled by last year's record highs for crude oil, low interest rates and a sea of private equity money, 2006 brought 485 mergers in the energy patch, the most in 16 years - deals worth a cool $82 billion, the fourth highest over that span. Read More.

RSM EquiCo discusses Aerospace & Defense in its Q4-2006 industry review

RSM EquiCo discusses Aerospace & Defense industry trends, Merger & Acquisition highlights and transaction values during Q4-2006.

Read the complete report.

What Does The M&A Boom Mean For The Market?

February 8 - SeekingAlpha - The 2000 merger boom was known not only for the number of deals completed but also for a lack of discipline and the number of deals that destroyed value for shareholders... Are shareholders doing any better this time around? They appear to be. Read More.