​After four months of large M&A deals keeping invested capital levels afloat, capital markets experienced an absolute drop off in M&A activity. According to preliminary Pitchbook data, there were only 269 deals for a total of $12.2 billion, representing a 23% and 85% decline, respectively. Compared against the same period one year ago, May’s totals are roughly half.

​As we publish our Economic and Public Market Update for the first quarter of 2020, it is obvious that the first quarter was a wild ride. It included US stock markets reaching all-time highs and ended with the fastest 20% market drop on record.  The drop, spurred on by the coronavirus pandemic, put an end to the longest bull market in history.

​While nothing compares to the loss of human life, the economic toll of the pandemic and the practical shutdown of the economy has been significant to say the least. The full impact is still playing out, including whether we can achieve the V-shaped recovery we all hope for, but the economic results began to deteriorate in the final weeks of the first quarter. Advanced estimates of the first quarter GDP came in at -4.8%, marking the first quarterly decline since 2014. Estimates for second quarter GDP project a decline of more than 30%.

​Mergers and acquisitions have decreased – or at least paused temporarily - as the coronavirus has kept businesses shuttered and dealmakers at home or focused on other matters. Deal counts are down 54% since COVID-19’s most recent peak in January and invested capital figures have remained roughly constant. Year-to-date compared with 2019, deal count is down 11.4% and total invested capital is up just 4%. 

​Merger and acquisition deal count figures continued to slide in March as COVID-19’s impact unfolded across the United States. During the month, deal count totaled 433, representing a 25.9% decline from February, while invested capital grew 0.6% to $96.4 billion. For the first quarter, deal count is down 3.11% compared with 2019, while invested capital is up 5.06%.

​A handful of large-scale M&A deals kept total spending levels afloat in February, despite declining deal count figures. During the month, there were 691 corporate M&A deals, 25% lower than January, and $123 billion in spending, which is 14% greater than the month before. Moreover, median deal size and post-valuation figures are up 21% and 35%, respectively, month over month. 

​According to preliminary data from Pitchbook, there were 752 M&A deals worth a total of $240 billion in July, remaining relatively unchanged from the $237 billion spent on corporate acquisition and leveraged buyout deals in June. Over 60% of the deal value is comprised of the buyouts of five target companies: Worldpay, L3 Technologies, Red Hat, First Data, and Array BioPharma. 

In June, there were 643 deals in M&A capital markets worth a combined $270 billion, the highest level since the start of the decade in 2010. However, 45% of that value is attributable to United Technologies’ blockbuster acquisition of defense contractor Raytheon. In fact, the deal is the largest since Time Warner acquired AOL in January 2001.

Data from Pitchbook shows that $84.5 billion was invested in 33 deals across American M&A markets last week, 10 more deals and $71.1 billion capital than the week prior. Four of those deals were for over $2.5 billion, including $38-billion and $23.3-billion-dollar deals, both of which were in the energy space. Another deal that caught significant media coverage was that of Boston Beer Co., the brewer of Samuel Adams brand beers, which paid $300 million to acquire Dogfish Head Brewery, a craft beer maker from Milton, Delaware. Dogfish produces over 250,000 barrels of beer annually.

​Pitchbook data reveals there were 23 deals for $13.4 billion invested capital in M&A markets last week. That is $9.8 billion more capital than the week before on two fewer deals. Two billion-dollar deals, 3M’s acquisition of KCI Holdings and Parker Hannifin’s acquisition of Lord, drove the increase in value from last week, contributing $6.7 billion and $3.7 billion, respectively, to the increase. M&A news was encapsulated by Occidental Petroleum and Chevron’s bidding war for Anadarko Petroleum and their Permian Basin shale-oil fields. Warren Buffett has committed to financing $10 billion of Occidental’s bid.

​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.