'The Big One': Bankers Expect Megabuyout. April Volume Tails March. _PE_Breakdown_2Q2010.pdf (application/pdf Object) Latest Industry Statistics. PwC U.S. Tech M&A Report. Survey: Dealmakers Expect Increased M&A Activity. A few months back, I asked you to participate in our bi-annual Dealmakers Survey, which is done in conjunction with the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). We got over 680 responses, including GPs, bankers, lenders and LPs.
The top-line results reflect increased optimism, which 85% of respondents expecting an increase in M&A activity over the next six months. They also said it’s a buyer’s market. For context, only 56% predicted increased M&A activity in the year-ago survey. Respondents said that healthcare and manufacturing/distribution would experience the most activity with 20% each, followed by financial services (13%) and technology (12%). Digging a bit deeper, business services is considered the sector with the best opportunities for future buyouts, while manufacturing/distribution will be best for distressed. A whopping 79% of respondents said they expect to pay 5x EBITDA or less for companies over the next six months.