ANALYSIS: Deal Terminations Are Down Despite Tough M&A Market

Around this time last year, I thought it was possible that the downward trend in total deal terminations would reverse course for the first time in five years—and it did. But last year’s upswing likely won’t continue in 2023.

The number of terminated controlling-stake mergers and acquisitions so far this year suggests that the overall pattern of decreasing annual deal terminations may continue. But what’s perhaps more interesting is that the portion of terminated deal volumes out of overall completed deal volumes (i.e., deal volumes from closed or terminated transactions) has declined noticeably in the past decade.

Quarterly Breakdown ...