The volume and value of disclosed U.S. Mergers and Acquisitions deals declined compared to Q1 2015, but the number of deals closed marked the third highest Q1 in the last 7 years.
IPO activity also dried up in the first quarter, where only 8 companies raised approximately $700 million in capital, compared to 32 companies raising $6.8 billion in capital during Q4 2015.
Number of Closed U.S. M&A Deals

- Deal volume in the U.S. and Canada was down approximately 22% in Q1 2016 compared to the same period in 2015.
- Deal Value for the quarter was also down approximately 2% compared to Q1 2015.
- The transaction that headlined the quarter was Royal Dutch Shell’s acquisition of BG Group that valued the company at over $54 billion.
- The most active acquirers during the quarter include Audax Group, The Carlyle Group, and KKR, with 15+ acquisitions.
P.E. & V.C. Exits: U.S. & Canada

- The number of investments exited by private equity and venture capital firms in the United States and Canada during the first quarter rose 29% over the same period in 2015.
- Approximately $56 billion in capital was exited during the first quarter, a 23% increase over the pervious period in 2015.
- In addition to exits, 72 North American PE and VC funds closed in Q1. The largest funds raised include Advent International’s $13 billion buyout fund, and BTD Capital Partners’ $6.2 billion buyout fund.
Thank you to MelCap Partners for the summary.