M&A Worth $800 Billion Leaked in Last Year’s Deals Slump

Information on one in three deals worth $2 billion or more leaked to the media last year, even as mergers and acquisitions slumped across the globe.

In total, markets were tipped off to just shy of $800 billion of transactions over the period, according to a Monday report from strategic communications firm H/Advisors.

Asia Pacific was the most porous region, with more than half of deals being detailed before announcement. Western Europe was the next leakiest market at around 48%, followed by the US at just 28%.

“Mergers and acquisitions rank among the most significant and complex events that ...