The wealth management sector experienced its most active quarter in history, with 69 deals taking place in the October-to-December period, Echelon Partners reported Wednesday.
Related: Why Small Firms Should Relish the Effects of Consolidation
That was up by 25% from the 55 deals recorded in the third quarter, itself a high-water mark.
RIA M&A is on the cusp of a record-breaking year, with at least 205 deals registered as of Dec. 22, which compares with 203 deals Echelon reported in 2019.
Quite an achievement considering that at the end of the second quarter, only 162 total deals were forecast for 2020. The second quarter was the slowest period for RIA M&A in four years, the report said.
This year now represents the eighth consecutive year that the total number of deals in the RIA industry has increased.