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Worldwide mergers and acquisition activity will hit £2.4 trillion ($3.2 trillion) next year, as deal-making is elevated on an increasing global economic tide, according to recent forecasts. Investors are feeling “increasingly confident” due to a spike in global trade and GDP development across most of the world, according to research by law firm Baker McKenzie and consultants Oxford Economics. 2018 will mark a “cyclical peak” for numerous macroeconomic and financial deal drivers,… Read More
A recent article in the Harvard Business Review made a perhaps surprising conjecture: that as far as mergers and acquisitions are concerned, those companies that focus on what they’re going to get from an acquisition are less likely to succeed, in terms of the deal outcomes, than those companies that focus on what they can give to the process. Acquiring companies being in ‘take’ mode was a dangerous place to be, it claimed…. Read More
Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal between Sui Generis Holdings Limited to Milbank Concrete Products Limited has been agreed. Sui Generis Holdings Limited was established in 1996 with the intention to specialise in bespoke fibreglass mouldings. However, at any stage the versatility, robustness and consequent massive potential of fibreglass was recognised and gradual progression has seen the company become experts in a wide variety of fibreglass applications including Fibreglass… Read More
We’ve recently been seeing at first hand the rise in medical and healthcare sector mergers and acquisitions both domestically and internationally, with Dublin-based Clanwilliam Group’s synergetic acquisition of Cheshire-based NHS technology provider Medisec (brokered by Benchmark International) the most recent example. Greater private sector involvement in the NHS has long been predicted thanks to a competition-opening process begun way back by the Blair administration and further strengthened by the Health and Social… Read More
Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal between Levy Brothers & Knowles Limited (LBK) to NNZ has been agreed. LBK Packaging has been established since 1831 and as one of the UK’s leading independent packaging suppliers, they offer a full range of flexible packaging products from their bases in Liverpool and Glasgow. LBK’s packaging is compliant with all EU food packaging regulations, and their experienced sales team is always on… Read More
‘Green-washing’ is pretty much endemic in the business world, with every company worth its salt aiming to showcase its environmental credentials, whether rightfully or as a PR exercise. But environmental factors can be absolutely crucial in mergers and acquisitions, and can make or break some deals. Buyers are right to carefully consider any potential environmental issues that the target company might face, and in some sectors this can be key. Here’s our… Read More
Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Topcrete Limited (inc Allen Concrete Limited) to SigmaRoc for a total deal value of £17.1m (including assets extracted by the sellers totalling £4.6m. SigmaRoc Plc is an AIM listed company that invests in and operates new and existing construction material assets, in places where opportunity is greatest. Chairman David Barrett said: “We are very pleased to welcome Allen Concrete to the SigmaRoc… Read More
There is still the chance for you to capitalise on the extremely low 10% capital gains tax rates which are on offer via Entrepreneurs’ Relief, whenever you fully or partially sell your company. However, time is running out as there are already signs from the government that they will be applying the brakes on small business owners, by clamping down on the numerous available tax breaks for entrepreneurs. The Budget in 2015… Read More
Technology-related mergers and acquisitions are set to remain robust over the next 12 months, according to the recent semi-annual leaders’ poll from law firm Morrison & Foerster’s global M&A team. In spite of something of a slowing-down of the M&A market generally in recent months, with tech deals globally having fallen in the first three quarters of the year and a deal-making plateau predicted in some quarters, tech leaders are of the… Read More
Health IT mergers and acquisitions are now gaining traction, and at a rapid rate. While there are a number of reasons for this, the ultimate driving force is the shift from fee-for-service to value-based care. Providers want and need innovative health IT tools in order to meet the current demands for high-quality care, but roadblocks prevent the seamless integration and use of these tools. The most critical offender is the lack of… Read More
A fascinating report has been published by Intralinks who, in conjunction with Cass Business School in London examined 23 years of data from almost 34,000 companies worldwide to identify the factors that make companies attractive M&A targets. Whilst worth reading the full report, it concludes with a summary of six vital signs business owners should be aware of to make their company attractive to buyers. The study found that in any year… Read More
In spite of the uncertainty surrounding the meat processing sector in Ireland, M&A activity involving participants within the sector has continued apace in 2017, with the conclusion of some notable deals. Now, whilst there is a whole host of reasons underpinning this M&A activity, a number of common themes are evident, with the continued push for scale being the first. In an industry where operating margins are traditionally tight, top-line growth is… Read More
Of all the obstacles inherent in the M&A process, something that’s often overlooked is ‘the people factor’ – that’s to say, understanding, planning and correctly valuing the HR and employment side of a business, as well as company culture – an aspect that’s crucial when two companies come together. A 2016 survey by KPMG showed that a staggering 54% of executives said that HR and corporate culture issues were the most significant… Read More
In a much-talked-about piece in the New York Times recently, Hernan Cristerna, Co-Head of Global M&A at JP Morgan Chase, diagnosed the global mergers and acquisitions market as alive and very much kicking – in spite of ongoing Brexit anxieties and considerable political uncertainty around the Trump administration. Cross-border European-US transactions have already increased by over 80% this year, with some truly blockbuster deals counting among them such as Johnson & Johnson’s… Read More
Due diligence by potential buyers takes up a serious amount of time in any M&A process. Essentially, it’s designed to make sure the buyer knows exactly what it is that they’re buying – and in other cases, ‘reverse diligence’ helps the target company understand whether a potential buyer or merger partner is right for them. But what does due diligence cover, in a nutshell? Here are the top five areas of interest… Read More
Benchmark International is pleased to announce that after an exciting year of growth, we are expanding our international reach to Ireland. The news comes after our recent announcement that Benchmark International will have a presence in South Africa, with the opening of our new Cape Town offices. Ireland has witnessed a staggering economic turnaround as of late, with unemployment being dramatically slashed and the Bank of Ireland forecasting GDP growth of 4.8%… Read More
Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Furlong Business Solutions to Volaris Group. Furlong is a unique Management Information System provider in the UK, working with schools across the world. Whether you’re looking to improve access to data, consolidate many disparate systems or improve parental engagement, they can help. More than 285 schools worldwide trust Furlong software products, they provide comprehensive management information solutions. Furlong aim to be a valued… Read More
Irrespective of the outcome and the eventual deal Britain strikes with the EU, there will be greater uncertainty for businesses in the near-term. So what and how will this affect the M&A sector? History shows us that turbulent times economically, politically and socially produce a short term drop in investment and a period of re-appraisal, followed not so remarkably by a resumption in activity. With interest rates low – and set to… Read More
‘To err is human’, it’s said … but for sellers and buyers alike, the M&A process is surely not a good time to make mistakes. Here are the top five errors made by sellers in M&A deals according to Forbes magazine, and our take on each. 1.Not Anticipating the Time and Effort Involved The number one spot goes to failure to anticipate the sheer amount of time and effort that’s involved in… Read More
It seems as though every other day, the headlines announce a new acquisition among major retailers. The giants in the industry are diversifying their products, sucking up more stock, and building mighty kingdoms that boutique and small business owners can’t even throw stones at. How can these smaller businesses possibly compete? First, take a look at what’s happening… It was recently announced that Michael Kors would acquire the Jimmy Choo brand for $1.17 billion…. Read More