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Industry Spotlight > Mergers and Acquisitions

Advisor M&A Fell in 2023: Why DeVoe Says It's No Big Deal

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RIA mergers and acquisitions declined year over year for the first time in at least a decade in 2023, as higher interest rates discouraged buyers, according to a new report Thursday by DeVoe & Co. 

For advisors looking to buy or sell, the good news is that the overall M&A market remains busy. 

Deals also sped up in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to DeVoe’s latest RIA Deal Book report. Sixty-six deals closed in that quarter, up 8% over the prior year. 

“Many sellers believe that the interest rate environment has compressed valuations,” the firm’s CEO and founder, David DeVoe, said in an email to ThinkAdvisor on the study. “Pausing any major moves is not uncommon in times of uncertainty or volatility.” 

What to knowIn 2023, the number of deal closings fell 5% to 251, from the record 264 in 2022. Up to that point, the industry had seen nine consecutive years of record deal volume, DeVoe said in the report. 

In addition to interest rates, “other factors contributing to the slowdown included extended due-diligence processes, evolving deal structures and a greater emphasis on the true value of a buyer’s equity,” the report authors wrote. 

Why it mattersIn particular, RIAs seeking to sell their practice internally face a succession crisis. The average advisor is in their 60s and aging out of the profession. But in 2023, only 18% of next-gen RIA advisors were perceived as being able to afford to buy their firms from the current owners — down from 38% who could back in 2021, the report said, noting that firm valuations had grown too high for many. 

With younger advisors increasingly priced out, more external buyers will have an opportunity, the report said. 

Selling minority stakes in RIAs can close that “affordability gap,” the report said, although doing so can mean ceding more control than desired. 

Repeat RIA acquirers, who accounted for nearly 90% of 2023 deals, are likely to find success as external buyers, the report said, because of their well-established processes and “business models that can help absorb the anticipated increase in external succession sales.” 

Looking deeperThe most favored targets were small RIAs with $100 million to $500 million in assets under management (50% of deals), followed by firms with more than $1 billion in AUM (36%) — among this group, “mega-firms” in particular with over $5 billion AUM saw a rise in sale volume. 

2023′s deal count still exceeded all other years from the past decade. In 2013, only 36 deals closed.

The report counted RIA sellers with $100 million or more of assets under management. 

Credit: Adobe Stock


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