As CEOs reassess their portfolios due to heightened competition, divestitures are playing a more important role in corporate strategy. In particular, there was an exceptional increase in high-profile announcements in the U.S. technology sector in 2014. The total value of first-half 2014 transactions jumped 62% over the value of transactions in the first six months of 2013. Mega-deals accounted for more than 35% of total first-half 2014 deal value, including five deals worth more than $43 billion each—a level of activity not witnessed since before the financial crisis.