Blockbuster deal boosts global technology M&A past $125bn
GOOGLE’S $12.5bn (£7.6bn) Motorola bid has lifted the global technology M&A total for the year to a lofty $125.7bn – the highest level of activity in the sector since before the financial crisis.
Qatalyst Partners, fronted by dotcom godfather Frank Quattrone, has moved up to fifth in the tech advisory league-table after working on four deals worth over $18bn, with Motorola being the biggest in its history.
The purchase – the biggest in Google’s history – marks the second largest M&A transaction involving tech companies announced this year, behind Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype in May.
Total M&A activity for the year so far stands at $1.8 trillion, a 31 per cent increase on the same time last year.
At $173.7bn for the year, telecoms is the second most targeted sector in global M&A, behind property ($186.5bn) and above healthcare ($172.4bn) in third.
Total telecoms deals are up two per cent in the year to date. Deutsche Bank is the leading adviser for global telecoms M&A in 2011 with $69.3bn.