A total of 128 merger and acquisition deals totaling $9.1 billion among direct marketing and related technology and service companies were completed during the first quarter, up 14% from last year, according to Petsky Prunier LLC.
Among multichannel marketers, 28 deals worth $3.8 billion were transacted. While only two more deals were transacted compared to last year, their aggregate value grew 238% or $2.2 billion.
In addition, growth in this segment offset relatively constant results in the marketing services and technology sectors. Those segments collectively generated 102 deals and $5.2 billion in value, little changed from the 100 deals and $6.3 billion witnessed during the first quarter of last year, said Petsky.
Petsky attributed these results to relatively stable economic conditions and to the growing availability of financing from venture capital, buyout and other private equity interests
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