​Data supplied by Pitchbook reveals that $14.8 billion in capital was deployed across 31 M&A transactions last week, four deals more and $28.8 billion less capital than the elevated levels of the week prior. The largest deal of the week was Waste Management’s $4.9 billion acquisition of Advanced Disposal, which will help expand the nation’s largest waste collector’s East Coast operations. Also, Canopy Growth announced a deal to acquire Acreage Holdings once cannabis is federally legalized in the U.S.

​Pitchbook data reveals that $43.6 billion in capital was spent on 27 M&A deals throughout last week, $28.4 billion more capital than the week before but on two fewer deals. Chevron (NYS: CVX) shelled out $33 billion to acquire Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum (NYS: APC) in the week’s largest deal.

Data from Pitchbook shows that $15.2 billion of capital was invested across 29 M&A deals last week, $4.4 billion less capital on two more deals than the previous week. The largest two deals during the week were Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners’ $3.6 billion LBO of Oryx Midstream Partners and the $2.44 billion acquisition of AmeriGas Partners by UGI Utilities. AmeriGas is a publicly traded propane distributor, and Oryx is a natural gas collection group. The transportation space was an active sector, as A&S Kinard and Buckler Transport were acquired by Day & Ross Freight; TFI International acquired Nebraska-based Aulick Leasing and its manufacturing business, ShurAul; and Providence Equity Partners acquired transportation software provider GlobalTranz.

​Pitchbook data reveals that $19.6 billion of capital was invested across 27 M&A transactions last week, twelve more deals but $17.2 billion less capital than in the week prior. The largest deal was publicly traded Centene’s corporate acquisition of WellCare Health Plans, also a publicly traded company, for $15.3 billion. The manufacturing vertical has been busy in 2019 through the end of last week, posting 48 transactions and $19 billion capital invested in LBOs and corporate acquisitions.

​According to the New York Stock Exchange website, two companies went public last week, the same figure as the week before. However, those two companies, Lyft and Precision BioSciences, combined raised more than in the prior week, raising $2.3 billion and $126 million, respectively. Lyft has been a highly anticipated IPO since the beginning of 2018, and the results of its IPO are indicative of it. The company priced its IPO at $72 per share, well above its initial estimates after a roadshow in which the firm received commitments in excess of expectations. As of trading close on Friday, Lyft was valued at approximately $26.5 billion.

Among news last week:

• The Conference Board says its index of consumer confidence dropped in March after rebounding in February. The index fell from 131.4 to 124.1 for March, correcting itself after a rising stock market and the ending of a partial government shutdown pushed the index higher in February. Continued volatility and uncertainty are certainly keeping consumers unsettled with the economic outlook.

• Revised fourth-quarter 2018 GDP figures show slower economic growth than initially thought, according to the Commerce Department last Thursday. Quarter-over-quarter GDP growth for Q4 was adjusted to 2.2%, down from 2.6% originally estimated. With the revisions, the U.S. economy had full-year growth of 2.9%, the strongest year since 2015 and well above 2017 growth of 2.2%.

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• The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, or PMI, signals decelerating manufacturing growth for the Chicago region. The index retreated to 58.7 in March from 64.7 in February. A reading of 50 is a neutral result, while figures greater than and less than 50 signal activity expansion and contraction, respectively. The components contributing to the fall were production and new orders, order backlogs, and inventories. The three-month average for the first quarter of the year was down 3.5% from the fourth-quarter 2018 and down 3.3% from the same period one year ago.

Stocks ended a volatile month with mixed results, with the S&P 500 index registering a 1.8% gain in March, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ, and Russell 2000 closed the month with 0%, 2.6%, and -2.3% returns, respectively. It was the strongest quarter for the S&P 500 since the second quarter of 2009.