Global M&A transactions lost some ground during 2017 when compared with 2016's activity but we expect deal-making to regain some momentum in 2018. Based on M&A Predictor data, we anticipate an upward trend this year - and the first quarter of 2018 might offer a glimpse of what's ahead, as total M&A deal value increased while average deal value soared to a 10-year high.

As we stressed in last year's report and emphasize again this year, it's no surprise that the upward trend we are seeing in cross-sector deal-making continues. The hunt for innovation is robust as companies - including mid-market and private-equity players - increasingly pursue transformational technologies and game-changing digital capabilities deemed critical to their future competitiveness.

Established in 2007, KPMG International's M&A Predictor is a forward-looking report that helps member firm clients to forecast worldwide trends in mergers and acquisitions. KPMG's Predictor tool is supplemented with insights from KPMG's integrated network of global sector specialist, examining global trends across a wide spectrum of deal-types: domestic, region to region, cross-border and cross-sector.

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