Average M&A value halves in 2024

Adani deal is 15x the average deal value for the year

- SACHIN P MAMPATTA

Domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&As) saw the average deal value nearly halving in 2024.

According to the latest figures by LSEG Deals Intelligence, the average deal value was at $29 million, which was 48 per cent lower than the $56 million seen in 2023. The year 2022 had seen $138 million, a recent peak. The current value of $29 million is the lowest it has been since at least 2014.

The number has been buoyed by the Adani group company's acquisition of a 47 per cent stake in Orient Cement, which was announced on Tuesday. The value of the deal is $450.91 million, with additional stake purchases intended, according to LSEG Deals Intelligence data. This makes it more than 15 times larger than the average deal size seen so far in 2024. The analysis considered data from the beginning of January to October 22 for each year. The current value remains the lowest despite a rise in the number of transactions.