Dentsu Aegis Network pulled ahead of WPP in marcoms mergers and acquisitions activity in the second quarter, as the rate of deals around the world was down 11 per cent compared with the same period last year.
According to new data from Results International, the number of transactions between April and June dropped from 246 in 2015 to 219 this year. This was a 24 per cent decline on January to March 2016, when 287 deals were struck. Dentsu Aegis, the world’s fifth-biggest advertising company, completed 22 deals, two more than WPP, the world’s biggest holding company. The two networks have historically been the most acquisitive in the market.