Executive Summary/Highlights:

• Global M&A volume in Q1 totaled approximately US$778 billion, approximately 10% higher than Q1 2016, marking the second highest Q1 since 2011.
• Cross-border M&A activity accounted for 43% of global deal volume in Q1, above 2016 levels, and led by activity in the Materials and Healthcare sectors.  Five of the 10 largest deals in Q1 were cross-border transactions.
• European M&A activity accounted for almost 29% of deal volume in Q1, up substantially from recent levels, whereas Chinese and U.S. M&A accounted for smaller percentages of global deal volume than in recent years.
• The Energy & Power sector accounted for over US$665 billion in global deal volume over the past 12 months, exceeding by nearly $190 billion and retaking the lead from the High Technology sector.
• However, the Materials sector accounted for the largest share of cross-border M&A activity over the past 12 months, exceeding US$230 billion, with cross-border deals accounting for 59% of global deal volume in this sector.  Cross-border deals also drove deal activity in the Consumer Staples sector, representing 71% of total M&A activity.

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