S. Korean M&A volume falls 18 pct through Q3: report

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Merger and acquisition (M&A) volume declined 18 percent in South Korea in the first nine months of the year from a year earlier due to the economic slowdown, a report showed Wednesday.

According to the report by the U.S.-based Thomson Reuters, a financial
information service provider, M&A volume reached US$41.37 billion in the first
three quarters, compared with $50.59 billion a year earlier.
During the third quarter alone, M&A volume dropped to $14.53 billion from $36.32
billion on-year, according to the report.
Cross-border M&A jumped 85 percent to $17.52 billion despite worldwide financial
instability, it said.
The largest M&A deal was Samsung Electronics Co.'s offer to buy Sandisk Corp.,
the world's largest producer of flash memory chips, for $57.66 billion.
The next was the acquisition of Korea Express Co. by Kumho-Asiana Group., a deal
valued at $43.34 billion, according to the report.