More companies in the United States are pursuing large acquisitions in the first quarter this year as the country continues to see growing economic confidence, strong equity markets and cheap financing.

The deal activity in the U.S. increased by 62% during the quarter, boosted by a series of mergers at over $5 billion including the acquisition of ketchup giant H.J. Heinz Co. by 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway.

This growth allows the Unites States to send the worth of mergers and acquisitions around the world slightly higher, raising 6% to 430.4 billion through March 19.

On the other hand, deal volume in the Europe and Asia declined by 31% and 10% respectively, data from Reuters showed.