The first three quarters of 2011 mergers and acquisitions volume is down 6 percent compared with transactions in 2010, according to a report investment bank Berkery Noyes released Oct. 17.  The study also found transaction value increased by 245 percent in 2011 over 2010.

[See also: Healthcare IT funding, M&A activity surges.]

Berkery Noyes, specializing in information content and technology industries research, attributed the sharp increase in transaction value to the Blackstone Group’s announced third quarter acquisition of Emdeon for $3.03 billion, the largest transaction thus far in 2011.

Berkery Noyes researchers said they analyzed merger and acquisition activity over the first three quarters of 2011 and compared it with activity in 2010. The market studies included information and technology companies servicing pharma, healthcare payer and healthcare provider spaces.

Total transaction value in Q3 increased by 205 percent over Q2 2011, from $2.0 billion to $6.1 billion, the study found. The researchers claimed this was due to Blackstone Group LP’s acquisition of Emdeon, Inc. in the third quarter.

[See also: VC opportunities for an 'explosion of bright young companies'.]

According to Berkery Noyes, the most active acquirer through Q3 2011 was PerkinElmer, Inc., with 4 acquisitions: Labtronics Inc., Geospiza, CambridgeSoft Corporation and ArtusLabs, Inc.

The study said the top ten deals have increased over Q2, with five acquisitions entering the list from Q3 2011. These include:

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  Blackstone Group LP’s acquisition of Emdeon, Inc.;

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  OptumHealth Inc.’s acquisition of Connextions;

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  Vista Equity Partners’ acquisition of Sage Healthcare;

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  Aetna Inc.’s acquisition of PayFlex Systems USA, Inc.;

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   and SAIC’s acquisition of Vitalize Consulting Solutions.

These five transactions, with an aggregate value of $4.1 billion, represent 43 percent of transaction value in the first three quarters of 2011 and 67 percent of quarter three transaction value, researchers said.

 The study can be found here.

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