The number of global marcom mergers and acquisitions deals have risen by 7% in the past quarter, driven by an increase in cross-border activity.
According to Results International, there were a total of 264 deals from July to September, compared with 246 in the April-June period.
About 36% of these were international, up from 26% in the previous three months.
WPP remains the most active buyer in the sector, with 14 deals in the third quarter. It has made a total of 29 investments so far this year.
Activity shifted geographically, Results International reported. Although the majority of the companies acquired during July-September were based in North America (38%), this was a decline from 46 per cent in the previous quarter. There was an increase in activity in Asia-Pacific, up to 21 per cent from 16 per cent in the second quarter.
Integrated agencies were the most popular targets (10% of the total, from 7% last quarter).
This article first appeared on campaignlive.co.uk.