Another record for M&A, no slowdown seen -Thomson

By Drazen Jorgic

LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Global corporate merger activity in the first half of 2007 surged 53 percent to a record-high $2.5 trillion as Europe equalled the United States for the first time in four years, new research released on Friday showed.

Mergers and acquisitions in the first half exceeded the 1999 all-time high of $1.9 trillion by a third, according to preliminary figures from market data firm Thomson Financial.

"I don't think that the conditions in the M&A sector will change for the rest of the year," said David Bernard, Thomson's head of European private equity.

"I can't see anything except a major setback such as terrorist attacks that will derail things."

The mega-deals more common in the United States have reached Europe on a more regular basis, including the $97 billion proposed takeover of Dutch bank ABN AMRO AAH.AS and the $22 billion leveraged buyout of pharmacy chain owner Alliance Boots AB.L.

European deal activity increased 73 percent in the first half to $1.02 trillion while the United States gained 45 percent to $1.03 trillion.

The Netherlands was the most targeted country in European M&A in the first half with a total of $258 billion, but Britain claimed the most deals with 1,261, valued at $173 billion.