DealZone

Dealmaking involving smaller companies held up marginally better than big-ticket mergers and acquisitions in 2009, according to Thomson Reuters data released on Monday. Deals of up to $500 million fell 26 percent compared to 2008, versus a 28 percent drop in the overall market, as still-tough credit conditions and the relative scarcity of private equity kept the clamps on the market.

A couple of points from the review:

“Mid-Market M&A valued up to US$500 million totalled US$532.4 billion during 2009, a 26.3% decrease from last year.

“This resulted in US$12.7 billion in estimated fees, according to Thomson Reuters/Freeman Consulting.

“Financials was the most targeted sector in the Mid-Market worldwide, making up 16% of the market with 4,983 deals worth US$79 billion.”

JPMorgan advised on the most deals by overall value. Here’s the main league table: