In order to sell your business in this environment, you will want to understand the trends to make the best decision. Here are the facts, the credit markets have been tight, the valuations have been reduced, but now that is starting to change.

Yesterday, Exxon Mobil announced a big energy deal and this is just the tip of the iceberg for deals in the energy sector.

Based on available transaction data, there were 5,997 transactions with a mean transaction value of $187.1 million from September to November 2009. This suggests a total value of $1.1 trillion. For the period from June to August 2009, there were 5,872 transactions with a mean transaction value of $100.3 million, suggesting a total transaction value of $0.6 trillion. These findings are based on publically available information and therefore omit some private transactions. In spite of this limitation, there is significant evidence suggesting capital is returning to the market.