Ametek provides a good showcase for the trend. The Berwyn, Pennsylvania-based maker of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices has inked five acquisitions in 2014 and expects to do more, says William Eginton, senior vice president of corporate development.

"There is a greater depth of deals that are available now," Eginton says, adding that 2014 has been especially right for well-positioned companies to scoop up targets.

The numbers back him up. Strategic buyers closed 1,251 middle-market deals valued at $144.4bn in the first eight months of 2014, up from 1,157 valued at $129.3bn during the same period in 2013, according to Thomson Reuters.

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