Our review of deal flow in the healthcare and life sciences consulting space shows rising demand from cash-rich strategic and financial buyers for larger acquisition opportunities
By Ramone Param, Director
Published today, Equiteq’s healthcare and life sciences consulting global M&A report provides exclusive acquisition and valuation insights for consulting firm owners considering a sale. The data reviews M&A, investor and equity market activity in 2017, as well as over the last ten-years. Our unique insights are informed by our regular detailed conversations with the leading serial acquirers of healthcare and life sciences consulting businesses. The following is a brief overview of the key themes from the report, the full version of which can be found here.
Healthcare M&A activity at a glance
- 371 completed deals in 2017, down 12% year-on-year
- Median deal value of $21m, up 14% year-on-year
- 24% of deals were cross-border
- The Equiteq Healthcare Consulting Share Price Index rose 28%, while the S&P 500 gained 18%
There were large variations in deal flow among healthcare consulting segments, with stronger activity occurring in spaces like data & analytics and strategy consulting to life sciences companies. The number of completed deals fell, but the median size of transaction rose substantially, indicating that buyers were focused on a smaller number of larger deals.