Worldwide financial sector merger and acquisition (M&A) activity so far this year is down 14 percent on a year ago, its slowest period for deal-making in two years, Thomson Reuters weekly data showed on Friday. Year-to-date deal volumes in the financial sector were $43 billion, the data shows, lifted by Mercuria Energy Group's $3.5 billion purchase of JPMorgan's (JPM.N) physical commodities business this week, but still behind the $50.1 billion in deals announced in the same period last year. Source