Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor Forecasts All-Time Record Year for Global M&A Announcements in 2015

Global M&A Markets Predicted to Show +11% Growth in Announced Deals for the Full Year 2015

NEW YORK--()--The Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor (DFP), a unique indicator of future mergers and acquisitions (M&A) announcements based on early-stage M&A activity monitored by Intralinks, forecasts an all-time record year for the volume of global M&A deals announced in 2015. Following a strong first half for early-stage M&A activity, globally, M&A volumes are predicted to increase by 8 percent in the second half of 2015 compared to the second half of 2014 and by 11 percent for the full year 2015 compared to 2014.

“2015 will be a banner year for global M&A activity, with the number of deals predicted to break the records set in 2007,” said Matt Porzio, vice president of M&A strategy and product marketing at Intralinks. “Based on our insights into early-stage M&A activity from the DFP, we are predicting double-digit growth globally in the number of announced deals for 2015 compared to last year – impressive, given that 2014 also ended with 11 percent growth over 2013 activity levels. Although the Latin American M&A market continues to struggle, the rest of the world appears poised for an M&A boom year.”

The Intralinks DFP is a unique leading indicator of future announced M&A deal volumes, approximately six months before these deals are publicly announced. The Intralinks DFP tracks the number of deals that are in preparation or have reached the due diligence stage, and has been independently verified as a statistically reliable predictor of the number of future deal announcements.

Globally, we are seeing the strongest increases in early-stage M&A activity in the High Technology, Retail, Consumer Products & Services, Real Estate, and Media & Entertainment sectors. By contrast, we are seeing a decrease in early-stage M&A activity in the Energy & Power, Industrials and Mining sectors.

On a regional basis, Asia Pacific (APAC) is showing the strongest year-to-date increase in early-stage M&A activity with growth of 16 percent over last year. This increase in activity level indicates that the volume of announced M&A deals in APAC for 2015 should significantly exceed that of last year. North America (NA) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are both predicted to comfortably exceed the volume of deal announcements in 2015 compared to last year, with growth in year-to-date early-stage M&A activity of 10 percent. Latin America (LATAM) continues to struggle, with year-to-date growth in early-stage M&A activity of only 0.5 percent. However, this is the first period since Q4 2013 that LATAM has shown a positive, albeit small, increase in early-stage M&A activity over a two consecutive quarters period.

The DFP’s findings are consistent with the responses to Intralinks’ global sentiment survey of M&A professionals. During the second quarter of 2015, Intralinks conducted a survey of 500 M&A professionals to understand the prevailing opinions among dealmakers as to the future deal environment. Highlights from the survey results include:

  • Dealmakers remain positive
    According to the survey, 57 percent of dealmakers expect to participate in more deals than six months ago and 59 percent expect overall deal volumes to increase. However, only 51 percent of global dealmakers remain positive about the current deal environment, down from last quarter’s survey which found 60 percent to be optimistic.
  • Regional confidence varies significantly
    Sentiment and views vary dramatically by region: 58 percent of respondents in NA and 59 percent in EMEA are optimistic about the current deal environment, compared to a gloomy 29 percent in LATAM.

To download the complete Intralinks DFP report or to learn more, please visit our website.

About Intralinks Dealspace®

Intralinks is a leading supplier of solutions for managing strategic transactions. Intralinks Dealspace, the market leading virtual data room (VDR), gives M&A professionals a complete solution to manage the full lifecycle of a deal. Intralinks Dealspace supports every step of the deal process, enabling deal teams to securely exchange data with buyers, sellers and advisors, helping speed strategic transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, capital raises and corporate restructurings.

About the Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor

The Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor provides Intralinks' perspective on the level of M&A due diligence activity taking place during any given period of time. The statistics contained in the Intralinks DFP represent the volume of VDRs opened, or proposed to be opened, through Intralinks or other providers for the purpose of conducting due diligence on proposed transactions including asset sales, divestitures, private placements, financings, capital raises, joint ventures and partnerships. These statistics are not adjusted for changes in Intralinks' share of the VDR market or changes in market demand for VDR services. These statistics may not correlate to the volume of completed transactions that may be reported by market data providers and should not be construed to represent the volume of transactions that will ultimately be consummated during any period of time. Indications of future completed deal activity derived from the Intralinks DFP are based on assumed rates of deals going from due diligence stage to completion. In addition, the statistics reported by market data providers may be compiled with a different set of transaction types than those set forth above.

THIS PRESS RELEASE AND THE INTRALINKS DFP (COLLECTIVELY THE "MATERIALS") ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. INTRALINKS MAKES NO GUARANTEE, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND REGARDING THE TIMELINESS, ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENT OF THE MATERIALS. THESE MATERIALS ARE BASED ON INTRALINKS' OBSERVATIONS AND SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS OF DUE DILIGENCE ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE, OR PROPOSED TO TAKE PLACE, ON INTRALINKS' OR OTHER PROVIDERS' VDR PLATFORMS FOR A LIMITED SET OF TRANSACTION TYPES. THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE AN INDICATOR OF INTRALINKS' BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OR OPERATING RESULTS FOR ANY PRIOR, CURRENT OR FUTURE PERIOD, NOR ARE THESE MATERIALS INTENDED TO PROMISE, GUARANTEE OR ASSURE FUTURE LEVELS OF COMPLETED DEAL ACTIVITY. THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONVEY INVESTMENT ADVICE OR SOLICIT INVESTMENTS OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER.

THE INTRALINKS DFP MAY BE USED SOLELY FOR PERSONAL, NON-COMMERCIAL USE. THE CONTENTS OF THE INTRALINKS DFP MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED OR PUBLISHED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF INTRALINKS. FOR PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH INTRALINKS DFP CONTENT, PLEASE CONTACT info@intralinks.com.

About Intralinks

Intralinks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: IL) is a leading, global technology provider of secure enterprise content collaboration solutions. Through innovative Software-as-a-Service solutions, Intralinks software is designed to enable the exchange and control of information between organizations securely and compliantly when working through the firewall. More than 3.1 million professionals at 99% of the Fortune 1000 companies have depended on Intralinks' experience. With a track record of enabling high-stakes transactions and business collaborations valued at more than $28.1 trillion, Intralinks is a trusted provider of easy-to-use, enterprise strength, cloud-based collaboration solutions. For more information, visit www.intralinks.com.

Forward Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are express or implied statements that are not based on historical information and include, among other things, statements concerning Intralinks' plans, intentions, expectations, projections, hopes, beliefs, objectives, goals, and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the results or commitments expressed, projected, or implied by any forward-looking statements will be achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. As such, Intralinks undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a detailed list of the factors and risks that could affect Intralinks' financial results, please refer to Intralinks public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2014 and subsequent quarterly reports.

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"Intralinks", the Intralinks' stylized logo, and "Intralinks Dealspace" are the registered trademarks of Intralinks, Inc. © 2015 Intralinks, Inc.

Contacts

Intralinks Holdings, Inc.
Media Contact
Ian Bruce, 508-574-2016
ibruce@intralinks.com
or
Investor Contact
David Roy, 212-342-7690
droy@intralinks.com

Release Summary

The Intralinks Deal Flow Predictor (DFP), forecasts an all-time record year for the volume of global M&A deals announced in 2015.

Contacts

Intralinks Holdings, Inc.
Media Contact
Ian Bruce, 508-574-2016
ibruce@intralinks.com
or
Investor Contact
David Roy, 212-342-7690
droy@intralinks.com