The amount of foreign money going to acquire U.S. companies has been off by as much as 80% in the past two years. Still, it's interesting to note the industrial sectors that have been in demand over the past five years, as explained by The Mergerstat Review, published by Merrill Lynch:
Number of acquisition deals Industry by foreign companies, 1988-1992
Drugs 66
Chemicals 64
Food processing 54
Industrial and farm machinery 51
Printing and publishing 50
Electronics 50
Electrical equipment 43
Computer software and services 40
Leisure and entertainment 39
Brokerage, investment, and consulting 39
Banking and finance 39
Source: The 1992 Mergerstat Review, Merrill Lynch & Co., Schaumburg, Ill.