Mid-Market Update: M&A Trends Looking Good

The Mid-Market Pulse, which tracks sentiment about future M&A activity, expects overall transactions to increase significantly over the next quarter and over the next year.

A poll of about 250 executives gave healthcare a score of 82 in the three-month forecast, a trend that's being driven by the Affordable Care Act.

Meanwhile, John Wiley & Sons has agreed to buy privately-held Cross Knowledge for $175 million. Cross Knowledge is a French management solutions company that offers skills assessment and training through a cloud-based platform.

And Uber has begun charging customers a $1 'safe rides fee.' The on-demand car service says the fee will help pay for such things as background checks, driver safety training and insurance.

Uber recently extended its insurance policy after facing growing criticism and a lawsuit over a driver that hit and killed a 6-year-old girl in San Francisco on New Year's Eve.