Berkery Noyes Releases 2009 Private Equity Information Industry Merger & Acquisition Trends

NEW YORK, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Private Equity M&A activity in the Information Industry experienced a significant half-to-half gain in aggregate value and a slight half-to-half increase in aggregate volume. Aggregate value increased 8 fold from approximately $2 billion in 1st Half 2009 to approximately $16 billion in 2nd Half 2009. Volumetrically, activity increased by 8.3% from 96 deals in 1st Half 2009 to 104 in 2nd Half 2009.

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Year-to-year, the Private Equity exhibited a decline in both aggregate volume and aggregate value of deals. Total transaction volume declined by 11% from 225 deals in 2008 to 200 in 2009. Aggregate value decreased by 25%, from $22.42 billion in 2008 to $16.78 billion in 2009.

There were three transactions done by a Private Equity buyer in the Information Industry in 2009 that exceeded $2 billion. TPG Capital and CPP Investment Board's announced acquisition of IMS Health Incorporated for $4 billion, announced on November 5th; Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and EQT Funds Management Limited's announced acquisition of Springer Science & Business Media for $3.4 billion, announced on December 16th; and the acquisition of Skype Technologies by Silver Lake Partners, Andressen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and CPP Investment Board for $2 billion, which closed on November 19th.

Please note that for evaluating aggregate transaction values, value represents total consideration paid by acquirer. For multiples Berkery Noyes uses enterprise values (EV) which is an adjusted value that normalizes values where less than 100% of a company is being acquired or has Net debt.

To read the free four page report Click Here (http://berkerynoyes.com/visit/BNCFY09PrivateEquity.aspx)

Berkery Noyes provides skilled transaction management to publicly traded and privately held businesses and private equity groups in both sell-side and buy-side mergers and acquisitions. We have managed transactions ranging from several million to more than four billion dollars in value, with an emphasis on mid market transactions of $10 million to $500 million in enterprise value.

Our clients include private companies seeking a buyer, most of the major international information companies, and private equity firms who use the firm's expertise in locating, analyzing and negotiating with acquisition candidates and in managing divestitures. The firm operates with a staff of forty professionals serving the information industry.

For more information, visit www.berkerynoyes.com.

SOURCE Berkery Noyes