Financial Deal Insight-Retail, March 2008

Introduction

Verdict Research's monthly Financial Deal Insights series provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of M&A activity within global Retail. It offers a unique insight into deal activity, deal rationale and the market fundamentals driving the sector.

Scope

Insight into recent M&A activity in the retail sector throughout the world. Detailed understanding of the factors driving both the sector as a whole and individual deals. An overview of deal trends on a historical basis and the progress of individual deals as they happen.

Highlights

Private equity interest continued in the retail sector, driven by lower valuations due to the on-going volatility in the stock markets and economic slowdown globally. However, public offerings have been affected due to economic slowdown in the US and Europe, combined with volatility in capital markets. Retail sector public offerings were down 42.8% in volume terms, as compared with the average of the last six months. M&A activity in emerging markets was focused on apparel and jewelry retail as well as the supermarket segment.

Reasons to Purchase

Track major deals among your competitors and plan your acquisition strategy accordingly. Understand which retail markets have proven the most attractive to investors, and identify the key deal makers.