Medical Device Deals Stay Strong in 2016

by | Dec 30, 2016 4:02 pm | Medical Devices

Medical Devices is finishing the year on a high note. In fact, as of December 29, 2016, deal volume reached 113 transactions, equal to 2015’s total. Deal value topped off at $61.3 billion, a 111% increase from last year’s total of $29.1 billion. However, one deal accounted for 50% of 2016’s total, and that is Abbott’s (NYSE: ABT) $30.7 billion purchase of St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE: STJ), a developer, manufacturer and distributor of cardiovascular medical devices for cardiac rhythm management. When that mega deal is subtracted, we get a dollar value of $30.6 billion, still a 5% climb since last year. A handful of acquirers made a name for themselves this year, such as Stryker Corporation... Read More »

Rehabilitation Attracted Private Equity and REITs in 2016

by | Dec 21, 2016 9:57 pm | Private Equity, Rehabilitation

The Rehabilitation sector is still fairly fragmented, but consolidation is coming. Some 40 deals have been announced in 2016, a 21% increase compared with 2015’s then-record of 33 deals. This year saw a ramp-up in the number of deals announced by REITs and private equity firms, too. Spending in this sector is generally lower than other sectors, because so many transactions are made by local or regional buyers who want to keep deals private. Many targets are privately owned, and sellers don’t wish to disclose prices, either. In 2016, deal value was approximately $712 million, down 11% compared with 2015’s $799 million. For this sector, those figures represent healthy... Read More »

Managed Care Deals Deflate in 2016

by | Dec 21, 2016 8:00 am | Managed Care

As the end of the year approaches, the Managed Care sector hasn’t changed its sluggish pace. Just 20 deals have been announced through mid-December, a 56% drop from 2015’s total of 45 transactions. Spending is another matter. As of this writing, nearly $1.7 billion has been committed to financing the 20 deals. There is no way to match last year’s outrageous total of $100.4 billion, courtesy of the two super-mega-deals from Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Anthem (NYSE: ANTM), made for Humana (NYSE: HUM, $37 billion) and Cigna (NYSE: CI, $54 billion), respectively. You’ve been living under a rock if you haven’t heard that the Justice Department challenged those mergers back in... Read More »

Home Health Sector Closes 2016 in ‘Epic’ Deal

by | Dec 20, 2016 8:23 pm | Home Health & Hospice, Private Equity

The year is ending on a high note for mergers and acquisitions in the Home Health & Hospice sector. Deal volume reached 54 transactions by mid-December, and could go higher as we finish up the year. Last year ended with 51 transactions. Consolidation continued, as buyers such as Kindred Healthcare (NYSE: KND) and Epic Health Services announced four acquisitions apiece. Three other companies, Almost Family (NASDAQ: AFAM), Jordan Health Services and PSA Healthcare, each made three acquisitions. Eight private equity firms made nine deals. Blue Wolf Capital Partners was the sole firm to announce two in this sector. Deal value wasn’t as impressive in 2016, but that is because some of... Read More »