Report: More healthcare deals, but less money exchanged
While the frequency of healthcare deals held steady through the final three months of 2012, companies engaged in fewer high-ticket megadeals, according to Healthcare M&A Watch, a report series that examines trends in U.S. mergers and acquisitions.
During the last quarter of 2012, companies entered into 358 deals compared to 350 in the third quarter, the results found. While the rising number of deals looked promising on the surface, they represented $22 billion, or a 40 percent drop, from the $36.9 billion in third-quarter deals.
Overall, the fourth quarter only saw four deals that exceeded $1 billion, including UnitedHealth Group’s $4.9 billion transaction for a majority stake in Brazilian insurer and provider Amil Participacoes, Baxter International’s $4 billion bid on Swedish dialysis equipment manufacturer Gambro, McKesson’s $1.8 acquisition of PSS World Medical and HCP’s $1.7 billion deal for 133 senior housing communities.
In other findings, the report revealed that the largest single deal recorded in the quarter was within the payer segment; financial investor involvement declined in terms of volume as well as value from the previous quarter; and international companies were involved in 64 U.S. healthcare deals during the fourth quarter.