Global deal activity decreases 17.2% with 899 deals last week

A total of 899 deals were announced globally during the week ended 12 April 2020, registering a 17.2% drop when compared to 1,086 deals announced during the previous week, according to GlobalData’s deals database.

The deal volume also remained below the Q1 2020 and March 2020 weekly average levels.

The worldwide deal activity has remained inconsistent because of uncertainty and volatile market conditions since the coronavirus outbreak.

During the week ended 12 April 2020, the US witnessed a 20.4% decrease in deal volume.

Deal volume in China, Canada and Japan declined by 38.2%, 26.6% and 47.5%, respectively.

During the week ended April 12, 2020, sectors like healthcare (including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment) and retail also witnessed a drop in deal activity, compared to the earlier week.

There was also a decline in volume in most key deal types, with mergers and acquisitions (M&A) registering a 28.2% drop.

The number of venture financing, partnerships, licensing agreement and equity offerings saw deals decreased by 10.2%, 17.8%, 47.8% and 15.5%, respectively. However, the number of private equity deals mostly remained at the same level.