MERGERS and acquisition deals announced so far this year have topped US$3 trillion, the highest since 2007, helped by mega deals in the health care, energy and power sectors.

    The total value of deals globally jumped about 48 percent to US$3.06 trillion as of Thursday, compared with the same period last year, according to Thomson Reuters data.

    Goldman Sachs Group Inc. retained its No. 1 position as M&A adviser with deals worth US$877 billion, followed by JP Morgan Chase & Co. with US$651 billion and Citigroup Inc. with US$633 billion.

    Morgan Stanley slipped to the fifth position from third last year.

    The M&A market, which was the doldrums following the financial crisis, got a lift from a resurgent stock market and growing confidence among cash-rich companies.

    The US$66.4 billion bid for Allergan Inc. by Actavis last week more than doubled the total value of deals in the health care sector to US$364 billion.

    Halliburton Co.’s plans to buy smaller rival Baker Hughes Inc. for about US$38.5 billion raised the value of deals in the energy sector by 68 percent to US$516.3 billion.

    Other notable deals include Comcast Corp.’s US$45.2 billion bid for rival Time Warner Cable Inc.

    The United States led the way with about US$1.41 trillion worth of deals, up 58 percent compared with last year.

    (SD-Agencies)