Media and marketing M&A activity slides in first quarter

New York—The number of M&A deals in the media and marketing sector slipped to 402 in the first quarter, a decline of 3.8% compared with the year-earlier period, according to Berkery, Noyes & Co.'s “Q1 2012 Media and Marketing Industry M&A Trend Report.” In the same time frame, the aggregate value of deals in the sector fell to $15.0 billion, a drop of 14.8%.

However, compared with the fourth quarter of 2011, first-quarter deal activity increased 7% while aggregate deal value was up 10%.

The marketing segment saw a 14% increase in deal activity in the first quarter compared with the fourth quarter of last year. In the same time frame, the exhibitions, conferences and seminars segment saw an 80% increase in deal activity.

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