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M&A Seller’s Market Gaining Steam in 2018

By Generational Equity

10/22/2018

Intralinks, the leading provider of virtual data rooms (VDR) for M&A professionals, releases their quarterly forecast for pending deal activity (in terms of closed deals) based on the opening of, and activity they see, in data rooms that they create.

Based on activity they are seeing, Intralinks is forecasting an 8% increase in M&A deal activity in North America for the fourth quarter of 2018. However, it is important to consider that the largest percentage of deals close in the fourth quarter every year, so 8% may be a bit conservative.

This forecast agrees with other analysts on the state of the current M&A seller’s market, with many forecasting that 2018 will be a record year for overall deal closings.

We are seeing this trend as well with our own clients. Through the first nine months of 2018 we are 15% ahead of the same period last year in terms of the number of deals closed. And we expect 2018 to be a second record year in a row for our firm in terms of deals closed.

Active M&A Market is Great News for Business Owners Ready to Sell

This record-breaking M&A activity is great news for business owners today. But it becomes even better news for those owners who are actively in the market right now looking for buyers.

We have found over the years and years we have been working with business owners that the toughest part of the exit planning process is simply getting started. You have spent years (in some cases decades) building a highly successful business, but you probably have no idea how to begin planning your exit.

Fortunately for business leaders like you there is a great place to start: Attend a Generational Equity conference near you.

We hold these M&A conferences throughout North America because we are convinced that over the next 15 years we are going to see the greatest transfer of wealth our country has ever known. This is because aging baby boomer business owners are ready to retire and exit the businesses they have built. It is estimated that 60% of the 15 million privately held businesses in the U.S. are owned by baby boomers.

The reality is that there are two types of owners:

  • Those that PLAN to sell
  • Those that HAVE to sell

Generally speaking, it is far better to be part of the first group than the latter, where external circumstances may force you to sell your company without a plan in place.

If you are ready to at least start researching how to complete the optimal exit, attending a Generational Equity conference can give you the support you need.

Don’t just take my word for it. Here is what a few of our clients have said about the conference they attended:

To learn more about our educational exit planning conferences, please use the following links:

By Carl Doerksen, Director of Corporate Development at Generational Equity.

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