Global M&A activity was up during the first nine months of the year, compared with the same period last year, according to the latest data from Thomson Reuters.

The firm reports that the value of worldwide M&A totaled US$2.1 trillion during the first nine months of 2011, up 21.7% from the first nine months of 2010. However, activity was down quarter over quarter in the third quarter to US$569.2 billion. This marked the second consecutive quarterly decline for worldwide M&A since the first quarter of 2010, it said.

At the same time, M&A advisory fees from completed transactions are up 9% to an estimated US$22.8 billion during the first nine months of 2011. Deal activity in the Americas accounted for just over half of the worldwide fee pool, while Europe, Middle East and Africa accounted for 32%, and the Asia Pacific region, and Japan, contributed 13% and 3%, respectively.

Goldman Sachs led the global league tables for announced deals, followed by Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse and Citi. RBC Capital Markets is the only Canadian firm ranked among the top 25. It sits in 20th spot in terms of both announced and completed deals.

Thomson Reuters also says that M&A activity with U.S. involvement during the first nine months increased 48.1% compared to the same period last year, reaching US$1.1 trillion. The energy & power sector led the U.S. market, with deal volume totalling US$167.7 billion.

M&A activity with Canadian involvement during the first nine months decreased 4.3% to US$114.1 billion. CIBC World Markets led the league tables for announced deals with Canadian involvement. BMO Capital Markets ranked second, TD Securities was third, with RBC fourth and Goldman fifth.

Also, worldwide private equity-backed M&A activity totaled US$181.2 billion during the first nine months of 2011, up 17% compared to the first nine months of 2010. European buyouts drove the growth in these sorts of deals, the firm said.

IE