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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
According to a recent report, UK companies are braced for a surge in deal-making this year, as executives prepare their businesses for life away from the European Union. Accountancy juggernaut Ernst & Young found that 51% of UK firms expect to actively pursue mergers and acquisitions within the next 12 months, a rise of three percent from October 2016, but slightly lagging behind the global figure of 56%. Despite the backdrop of… Read More
The $130bn mega-merger between US chemical giants Dow Chemical and DuPont has been given the go-ahead by the European Commission. Earlier this year, it was announced that the deal would be subject to an investigation from EU competition regulators due to antitrust concerns. The Dow and DuPont deal is the first of three mega deals in the sector that the European Commission is looking into. It is expected that Brussels will clear… Read More
Back in 2013 the EU blocked UPS’s $5.5bn takeover of Dutch-based TNT over concerns that the deal would affect consumers with drastically reduced choice and expected price increases for small parcel delivery in Europe. However, in an interesting turn of events, this week an EU court ruled in agreement with UPS that the EU’s probe, led by the Competition Commissioner at the time Joaquín Almunia, was wrong in its decision to block… Read More
Despite uncertainty surrounding Britain’s decision to leave the European Union in June, the British Fintech sector continues to grow and a flurry of M&A activity made last month one of the sector’s busiest months yet. The surge we saw in August comes on the back of what was a somewhat disappointing period directly following the Brexit vote. In July, only one deal of more than £100m in value was announced, in comparison… Read More
Regardless of which way the referendum goes this week, an end to speculation over the UK’s membership of the European Union could pave the way for significant M&A activity across the FTSE All-Share. The Brexit vote has been looming over the UK mid-cap market this year and there is little doubt that it has led to a decrease in corporate activity. A number of deals, including potential takeovers, have been grinded to… Read More