Mergermarket, a New York-based division of Acuris, released its Global M&A roundup report for the consumer sector for the first quarter (Q1) of 2018.

Key findings include:

• Global consumer sector M&A activity kicked off on a lower note compared with last year, at 426 transactions worth $79.1 billion in Q1, down 52.6% by value year on year (508 deals, $166.9 billion). The dramatic decline can be largely attributed to a lack of megadeals (less than $10 billion) following a record-breaking 2017.
• The consumer sector, which contributed 8.7% to the overall global M&A value, secured only one megadeal in the first quarter, three fewer than Q1 2017. Still, 2018 marked the fourth highest Q1 since 2009, highlighting consumer’s positive stance for deal-making.
• The United States continued to account for the bulk of deals in the global consumer segment, recording 92 deals worth $46.4 billion in Q1 2018. This comprised 58.7% of total global consumer deal value and 21.6% by deal count. The country recorded four out of the Top 5 transactions globally. However, this came with a sharp pullback of 48% on value compared with the first quarter of 2017 (127 deals, $89.2 billion).