In a deal that could fetch up to $3bn, McDonald’s China is set to be purchased by Citic Group Corp, the Chinese conglomerate, coupled with a US-based private equity group Carlyle.

Despite economic and political uncertainty across the globe in 2016, the year remained one of the most active for M&A deals. According to data collected by Dealogic, the value of the average deal in 2016 was $104.2m which, despite being slightly down on 2015’s average of $115.4m, was significantly greater than the average deals made between 2000 and 2014 at $77.1m. Here, we take a look at the biggest transactions that contributed to a successful year of deal making in 2016.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal has been agreed for the sale of Headland Services Limited to OASIS Group.

Siccar Point Energy, an exploration and pipelining company based in Aberdeen and backed by private-equity, have pulled off a significant deal to acquire OMV’s North Sea interests. The $1bn deal is estimated to be the largest for the offshore energy industry in the UK, following the severe drop in crude prices. This is the second significant deal of the year that the highly acquisitive firm has made in the North Sea.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Cleaning Equipment Supplies to ICE.

Within M&A there will always be a winner and, ideally, the deal will be a resounding success for both parties. However, more often than not there will be someone who loses out, and the road towards successful M&A is not always straightforward.

Despite major political disruption from events such as Britain leaving the EU and the election of a new president of the United States, 2016 is gearing up to be the biggest year for M&A deal announcements since 2007.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of E.Braude Limited to Heatrod Elements.

American beauty giant Estée Lauder is no stranger to M&A. The company, founded by its namesake in 1946, already owns a number of the beauty industry’s most popular and largest brands, including MAC, Clinique, La Mer and Jo Malone. However, it is the beauty powerhouse’s latest acquisition of cosmetics company Too Faced, for a reported $1.45bn, which has captured the interest of industry commentators.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Dyson Energy Services to the Duality Group.

Greg Jackson, CEO of Benchmark International was named as one of 2016’s top CEOs of the year by AI Global Media. As a part of the award, Jackson was featured in AI Magazine’s November issue, an honor only a few come to achieve.

“I am honored to be recognized as CEO of the Year given the immense amount of talent in the industry.  Benchmark International has grown exponentially in recent years by providing clients with a global offering backed by unquestionable experience, expertise and talent. Our trailblazing business model has set new expectations for the industry as a whole. The driving force behind our success is centered on our relentless desire to ensure our clients are at the forefront of everything we do.”

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There are TWO impending critical issues every business owner should consider when planning an exit or growth strategy.

In the last week of October alone, five multi-billion dollar deals contributed to an unprecedented month of mega deals for M&A. In particular, renewed confidence in the US economy has buoyed deal activity, despite the impending presidential election, with over half a trillion dollars’ worth of deals announced globally last month.

Eyebrows were raised earlier this week when one of the U.K.’s largest dog-walking franchise businesses, Barking Mad, was snapped up by AIM-listed Franchise Brands for almost £1 million. While the deal highlights a booming sector in the U.K., it also points to the attractions for acquirers that go beyond particular sectors or industries and gives crucial insight for business owners who are exploring options for partial or full exit from a business, or turning to outsiders for investment.

Benchmark International has successfully negotiated the sale of Action Concrete Pumping, Inc. (“Action Concrete”) to Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping Inc. (“Brundage-Bone”), a portfolio company of Peninsula Pacific Strategic Partners, LLC. The transaction represents the strategic expansion of Brundage-Bone throughout the Southeast US and further consolidation of the concrete pumping industry.

October was a fantastic month for Benchmark International and we are proud to announce that our teams in the UK and US have completed deals with an overall, combined transaction value of $160,000,000.

This week, Apple has once again commanded the attention of global media following its latest quarterly financial report. While the technology giant’s previous financial reports have typically generated headlines for its record-breaking sales, the latest financials have significantly fuelled the global M&A rumour mill.

One of Benchmark International’s Major Transaction Teams, led by Managing Director Kendall Stafford, successfully facilitated the merger of Rx30 and Computer-Rx which closed on October 6, 2016.In June 2015, it was announced that GTCR had made a strategic equity investment in RX30, another deal facilitated by Benchmark International.

Computer-Rx, headquartered in Moore, Oklahoma, is an innovative pharmacy software platform focused on community pharmacies. Rx30, headquartered in Ocoee, Florida, is a leading national developer and supplier of vertical enterprise software that offers pharmacy management software solutions to the independent, hospital, long-term care and specialty pharmacy markets.

Each platform will continue to run independently while leveraging the combined experience and innovations of both companies. The Founder of Computer-Rx, Roger Warkentine, will remain on as an advisor and the current COO, Lauren Warkentine, will become President of Computer-Rx. Steve Wubker, CEO of Rx30, will lead the combined businesses.

Roger Warkentine commented, “The Benchmark team was invaluable throughout the deal. They recommended that we use the same attorneys they previously worked with for Rx30. With Benchmark and the attorneys’ combined knowledge of previous deals and industry standards, we knew that they would be the only representatives that would be able to agree to a great deal on our behalf while keeping our priorities in mind. The combination brings two companies with similar cultures and philosophies together to provide better resources for our clients.”

Benchmark International's Chairman, Steven Keane, commented, “We are delighted with the outcome we were able to achieve for the Warkentine family. They were great to work with and were very deserving of the deal they received. It was a swift deal with obstacles the team had to overcome, but all parties were committed to a successful outcome. ”

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that is has been named ‘Best Company Sales Specialists for 2016’ by Acquisition International, along with securing the ‘Award for Excellence in Exit & Growth Strategies’.

This week the world was exposed to Salesforce’s M&A shopping list after an email from the company’s board member Colin Powell was leaked by “hacktivist” group DCLeaks. The list, which was part of an internal presentation, revealed the names of 14 public companies that Salesforce allegedly had their eye on back in May this year.

The night-time economy is a recognised driver of growth across Europe and the U.S. and global cities like New York and London play host to some of the world’s most popular DJs and artists after-hours, throughout the year. Further afield, the Spanish Island of Ibiza is one of the most popular seasonal destinations and over the decades has seen rapid expansion of the business arms of some of its most recognisable brands. It therefore comes as no surprise that the well-established Pacha is set to be sold for in excess of €350m to private equity outfit Trilantic Europe, with the Group’s owner, Ricardo Urgell, confirming earlier this week that a deal has almost been reached.

Benchmark International has successfully negotiated the sale of Carolina Physical Therapy Associates, Inc. (“CPTA”) to CORA Health Services, Inc. (“CORA”) a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors (“Gryphon”) a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal has been agreed for the sale of Clady Plumbing Supplies Limited to Bassetts N.I. Limited.

Benchmark International is proud to announce that the deal in which 1^st Class Holidays was acquired by PHD Equity Partners has been shortlisted for ‘Deal of the Year (sub £10m)’ at this year’s Insider North West Dealmakers Awards.

American mixed martial arts promotion company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has hit the headlines again as it was revealed its new investors include 23 celebrities and sports figures. Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Brady, and Serena Williams are just some of the famous faces who make up the group of private investors who bought the UFC for a figure reportedly in the region of $4 billion in July this year.

Author Terry Pratchett once said, “A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.” Nowhere is this truer than in the world of mergers and acquisitions. The potential buy-out of Twitter by Disney has been the subject of much rumour and this article looks at their veracity as well as examining other suitors that may be eyeing the micro-blogging site.

M&A in the Biotech sector rose by 25 per cent in the third quarter of 2016 compared to the two previous quarters, but is still down in activity seen in 2015. This activity was driven by small and medium deals but also the biggest deal of the year so far; German drug manufacturer Bayer’s takeover of the US agricultural seed producer, Monsanto, for $66 billion.

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the transaction between Steven Feller P.E. PL and Yenni Capital.

The team at Benchmark International is often approached by business owners with questions about M&A and what the typical process looks like. As with most things in the business world, one merger or acquisition is rarely the same as the last, but there are some key areas that you need to be aware of if you are thinking of buying or selling a business.

Whether it is a food manufacturer acquiring a start-up that specialises in organic goods or a media company making an investment in app development, there is little doubt that a number of M&A deals are being driven by businesses wanting to make that shift to attracting a younger market.

Despite uncertainty surrounding Britain’s decision to leave the European Union in June, the British Fintech sector continues to grow and a flurry of M&A activity made last month one of the sector’s busiest months yet.

Following a summer of uncertainty post Brexit, investors all over the world are returning from summers spent on the beach, ready to do some serious M&A business to close out the year.

The reported record levels of profit generated in the global recruitment sector in the last few years has worked as a catalyst for high levels of M&A activity. The great news for recruitment is that this appetite looks set to continue as we approach the final quarter of 2016.

Media M&A has picked up significantly over the last few years in line with the structural changes to the industry. With the increasing development of technology that is now readily available to consumers has come a growing appetite to digest media through a number of channels.

In the first week of September, German companies announced M&A deals amounting to $72bn – a significant contribution to the country’s global share in M&A, which has now doubled.

Chinese Olympians managed to scoop a total of 26 gold medals at the Rio Olympic Games. Although the country’s medal haul was not enough to match its astonishing tally in Beijing in 2008, China finished a commendable third place behind the US and the UK in the medal table.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal has been agreed for the sale of LTC Services Limited to Russell Taylor Group.

Business culture is one of the most influential factors when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. Unfortunately, it is also often one of the most overlooked.

The steep drop in the price of crude oil created significant instability and uncertainty across the sector, and traditionally-run organisations have had to make strategic adjustments and difficult decisions amid the crisis. Despite the recent challenges facing the Oil & Gas sector, the energy industry as a whole remains the most active sector within M&A, with dealmakers predicting that activity is set to rapidly accelerate over the next 12 months.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Creative Cars and Couriers to Mach 1 Couriers.