Bridgepoint: 2,841 M&A Deals in U.S. Last Year

The 2021 recap for M&A activity in the U.S. consumer sector tallied more than 2,800 transactions, Bridgepoint Investment Banking says in a new report released today.

Companies focused on consumer services accounted for the lion’s share of transactions—1,025—followed by consumer retail establishments with 728 and food, beverage and tobacco operations with 390. Other categories of deals included food retailing, durables and apparel, automobiles and components, and household and personal products.

According to Bridgepoint, buyers in those transactions were nearly evenly split between strategic buyers (1,135) and sponsor-backed buyers (1,070), with financial buyers accounting for the 273 other deals. Public companies accounted for just 29 of the 2,841 total, with private interests snapping up 2,135.