Tech Mergers Hit All-Time High
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The first six months of 2006 saw more than $220bn of tech merger deals, with a record 846 deals struck in the second quarter, surpassing the height of the dot com boom, new research reveals.
The data from investment bank Regent Associates' latest European Technology Acquisition Review shows that the value of the deals done in the first six months of this year is more than double that of the same period last year.
The amount of activity had actually dropped slightly during the first quarter, following a three-and-a-half year climb, but six acquisitions in excess of $10bn during the first 6 months of the year, compared to none for the same period last year, have ensured that the rise is continuing.
As reported in Computing, Peter Rowell, Regent Associates executive chairman, said "We are seeing a continuous increase in deals, but it does not mean we are in a bubble, I think this is solid and sustainable activity driven by companies that are performing well, are confident in the future and looking at business strategy."
Media and software were the two big sectors, showing 86 percent and 73 percent rises in the number of deals respectively over a 2 year period. Listed European public companies were the main acquirers with a 61 percent increase in deals while venture capitalists and private equity also saw a slight increase.
The UK was still the most active country, accounting for 24 percent of M&A's.
In the seven years since the crazy days of 1999 technology has matured as confidence in the sector built back up again. As customers continue to force down supplier prices the trend for consolidation, convergence and financial restructuring suggests that there's no immediate signs of an upcoming downturn in technology M&A.
The amount of activity had actually dropped slightly during the first quarter, following a three-and-a-half year climb, but six acquisitions in excess of $10bn during the first 6 months of the year, compared to none for the same period last year, have ensured that the rise is continuing.
As reported in Computing, Peter Rowell, Regent Associates executive chairman, said "We are seeing a continuous increase in deals, but it does not mean we are in a bubble, I think this is solid and sustainable activity driven by companies that are performing well, are confident in the future and looking at business strategy."
Media and software were the two big sectors, showing 86 percent and 73 percent rises in the number of deals respectively over a 2 year period. Listed European public companies were the main acquirers with a 61 percent increase in deals while venture capitalists and private equity also saw a slight increase.
The UK was still the most active country, accounting for 24 percent of M&A's.
In the seven years since the crazy days of 1999 technology has matured as confidence in the sector built back up again. As customers continue to force down supplier prices the trend for consolidation, convergence and financial restructuring suggests that there's no immediate signs of an upcoming downturn in technology M&A.
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