The Private Equity newsletters, which focus on the German-speaking region, are released by Roland Berger on a regular basis. This edition concludes that, after an increased overall deal activity last year, 2018 began more moderately.

In 2017 there were 204 closed deals – compared to 168 closed deals in 2016. Until the end of the first quarter of 2018 in total 45 closed deals were documented (compared to 53 during the first quarter of 2017). The majority of deal activity took place in the field of industrial products and consumer goods, followed by healthcare and IT/telecommunication. The outlook for the upcoming months in 2018 is positive, although in August the number might decrease due to the vacation period.

Considering the development from the political point of view, there is a feeling of insecurity, provoked by Brexit negotiations, Catalonia’s separatist movement and protectionist measures by the US government. Overall, however, it was positively received that after long negotiations, German chancellor Angela Merkel and her partners have constituted a new coalition government.