U.S. Deals Slip After Brisk Q1

Deal values may have rocketed 88% in the first quarter, but April is not showing a similar trend.

In fact, U.S. transaction values have declined 66% so far this month, according to data from Thomson Reuters (publisher of peHUB). Just 250 U.S.-based company mergers valued at $13 billion have been announced in the first two weeks of this month, Thomson Reuters says. That is down from the same period last year, when there were 272 transactions valued at $38.4 billion.

The biggest U.S. merger this month so far is GE’s $3 billion deal for oilfield pump maker Lufkin Industries Inc.

Deal values are also down the private equity side. There have been 42 U.S. PE-backed transactions this month, totaling $2.6 billion, according to Thomson Reuters. This compares to 55 deals valued at $4.5 billion in the same period last year.

Here are The following slideshow features the top 5 PE deals for the first two weeks of April.

5. Home Properties

In fifth place is a real estate deal. Earlier this month, Home Properties sold its Falkland Chase apartments, located in the greater Washington area, to The JBG Cos. Thomson Reuters reports that the deal is worth $98 million.

4. Tysons

Placing fourth is another real estate transaction. Investcorp agreed this week to buy 5 U.S. office properties, including Tysons Commerce Center outside of Washington, Bloomberg News reports. The deal value is $200 million.

3. AndersonBrecon

AmerisourceBergen agreed to sell its contract packaging business, AndersonBrecon, to an investor group led by Frazier Healthcare VI LP. The purchase price is $308 million. Other members of the group include Greenspring Associates, QIC Global Private Equity and Thomas McNerney & Partners.

2. CyOptics

Avago Technologies said yesterday it would buy CyOptics for about $400 million. CyOptics makes an indium phosphide optical chip for data communications and counts Jerusalem Venture Partners as an investor.

1. eSpeed

In first place is the sale of eSpeed. Nasdaq OMX Group agreed on April 2 to buy the electronic Treasuries-trading platform eSpeed from BGC Partners Inc. for $750 million in cash, Thomson Reuters reports.

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