Indian M&A deal tally touch $36.3 bn in 2012: mergermarket

The aggregate value of the merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions involving Indian entities was USD 36.3 billion last year, up 22.6 per cent over the 2011 tally, global deal tracking firm mergermarket said.
    
In terms of numbers, 2012 saw as many as 268 deals – up 7.6 per cent from the 249 deals registered during 2011. Outbound M&As hit USD 11.2 billion last year. In contrast, inbound M&As slowed in 2012 as the aggregate inbound deal value for the year stood at USD 17.4 billion, down 30.1 per cent than the corresponding period a year ago.
    
A sector-wise analysis shows that energy, mining and utilities commanded 31.9 per cent of the total M&A value in 2012, although the figure comprised mostly the USD 10.3 billion Sesa Goa-Sterlite restructuring, which represented 28.3 per cent of all M&A value in 2012.
    
Industrials & chemicals continued to dominate M&A deal volumes, along with the pharma, medical & biotech and business services sectors. Last year began on a bullish note, but deal activities fell significantly in the second and part of the third quarter.
    
According to mergermarket, deal volume in the fourth quarter of 2012 fell 9 per cent, from the third quarter of 2012 to 61 deals. The deal value in Q4 2012 dropped 26.3 per cent, from Q3 2012 to USD 7.1 billion. However, various reform measures announced by the government in mid-September and easing in liquidity conditions helped boost the deal value as well as volumes, which are expected to see a pick up going forward.
    
Citi topped the financial adviser league tables in terms of deal value, with 9 deals worth USD 18.5 billion. It was followed closely by five peers who acted on the Sesa Goa-Sterlite merger.
    
Ernst and Young retained first place in the rankings in terms of number of deals, having advised on 17 transactions this year, mergermarket said.