New York – August 8, 2024 – Despite global M&A deal volumes remaining lackluster, the total value of global M&A has jumped year-over-year in the first half of 2024, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence’s newly released Q2 2024 Global M&A and Equity Offerings Report. The total value of transactions increased 11.7% to $1.221 trillion through the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023, but the number of deals was down 12.9% to 19,415 over the same time period.

The activity shows that M&A has yet to fully recover from the slowdown in activity that started in 2022 with the rate-hiking cycle, but dealmakers are willing to pursue large transactions. In the second quarter of this year, a pickup in $10 billion-plus M&A announcements outside the U.S. helped ensure that the total value of global deals recorded its third straight quarter of year-over-year growth.

“A handful of large transactions served as a bright spot for M&A and IPO activity in the second quarter; while the overall number of transactions remains lackluster, the bigger deals are helping bring some growth to the overall value of transactions,” said Joe Mantone, lead author of the report at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Clarity around the political landscape and sustained rate-cutting cycle would certainly create optimism for M&A and IPOs heading into 2025.”

Key highlights from the Q2 2024 Global M&A and Equity Offerings Report include:

• The number of global M&A transactions has fallen below 10,000 three times in the last four quarters after having done only once since 2020. 

• Large transactions helped boost the total value of Europe M&A announcements by 65.4% quarter-over-quarter and 25.4% year-over-year in the second quarter to $182.87 billion. 

• The 616 global IPOs in the first half of 2024 was lower than the 674 transactions in the first half of 2023 and the 819 transactions in the first half of 2022.

The quarterly report provides an overview of global M&A and equity issuance trends, offering insights into the sectors and geographies that are seeing the most activity. It also focuses on deals with the highest valuations and strategies larger players pursue that underscore trends occurring throughout an industry. S&P Global Market Intelligence has produced the quarterly, global M&A and equity offering report since the first quarter of 2018.

To request a copy of the Q2 2024 Global M&A and Equity Offerings Report, please contact pressinquiries.mi@spglobal.com.

S&P Global Market Intelligence’s opinions, quotes, and credit-related and other analyses are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact or recommendation to purchase, hold, or sell any securities or to make any investment decisions, and do not address the suitability of any security.

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