The year of deals

Initial trends in the new year will likely prove forecasters wrong on deal activity in 2020

Private equity (PE) deals accelerated a bit in 2019 touching $37 billion compared to $36 billion in 2018, says sector watcher Venture Intelligence. Add venture capital investments to PE funding and 2019 hit an all-time high of $48 billion, according to management consultant EY. Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) reverted to “near normal” levels — a shade over $52 billion — in 2019 after a record 2018, according to leading law firm Baker McKenzie. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) reported an average recovery rate at over 43 per cent against claims of Rs 3.52 trillion till 2019 end.