New Delhi: India Inc's deal activity in the first six months of this year encompassing both M&A and private equity transactions, stood at $32.1 billion, down 57% over last year, a report said. Grant Thornton's Half-Yearly Dealtracker 2019 says the year so far recorded restrained deal activity, amid US-China trade war, spike in international crude oil prices and uncertainties around the US sanctions on Iranian oil imports.
The deal value in the first half of this year dropped to $32.1 billion from $74.4 billion in the year ago period. In terms of number of deals, the first half (January-June) of 2019, witnessed 610 deals which was the lowest compared to the corresponding period of 2017 and 2018. Out of the $32.1 billion worth of deals, merger and acquisitions (M&As) amounted to $17.9 billion, while private equity transactions amounted to $14.2 billion. The transaction of $14.2 billion in PE activity was a record one, but with lowest number of deals on a year-on-year basis in last five years. This trend resulted in PE investment average deal size at $37 million.
