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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
American computing giant Microsoft continues to expand its acquisitions of Israeli-based software companies, with a reported $100 million deal for cybersecurity start-up Hexadite. Founded in Tel Aviv and now based out of Boston MA, Hexadite deals in cyberattacks and mitigating damage to systems through machine learning, which helps its clients increase productivity and reduce costs. The software can easily be added to existing firewall solutions, making it simple for Microsoft to integrate… Read More
When it comes to M&A security breaches can be costly in more ways than one. Yahoo!’s expectations of a smooth transition in the Verizon takeover have been scuppered with the news that the acquiring company was not prepared to offer the full asking price. The timeline of the Yahoo! and Verizon takeover has certainly been colourful. The headlines began in 2014 with what was the biggest data breach in history where the… Read More
This week the world was exposed to Salesforce’s M&A shopping list after an email from the company’s board member Colin Powell was leaked by “hacktivist” group DCLeaks. The list, which was part of an internal presentation, revealed the names of 14 public companies that Salesforce allegedly had their eye on back in May this year. Featuring mammoths in business such as Adobe, LinkedIn and Workday along with those on the smaller side… Read More
Author Terry Pratchett once said, “A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.” Nowhere is this truer than in the world of mergers and acquisitions. The potential buy-out of Twitter by Disney has been the subject of much rumour and this article looks at their veracity as well as examining other suitors that may be eyeing the micro-blogging site. Birds and eggs Twitter was launched… Read More
Whether it is a food manufacturer acquiring a start-up that specialises in organic goods or a media company making an investment in app development, there is little doubt that a number of M&A deals are being driven by businesses wanting to make that shift to attracting a younger market. Accessing new markets through M&A enables businesses to build a safety net, or ecosystem, to ensure they are protected when times get tough…. Read More
The technology sector has long dominated M&A media coverage, with some of the most recognisable brands sparking the public’s interest with mega-deals grabbing headlines. Increasingly, these deals are focusing on one of the next big battlegrounds for technology companies: the cloud. The cloud is currently attracting significant attention for acquirers of all stripes, from acquirers of all kind, from tech giants looking to pivot to cloud technology to private equity houses. The… 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
M&A within the tech sector saw a relatively slow start to 2016. However, analysts predict that the recent announcement of Microsoft’s intention to acquire professional social network LinkedIn for $26bn could trigger a tech M&A boom. So far, $209bn worth of deals have been announced, placing 2016 back on track to match last year’s record deal making. With this in mind, we reflect on the tech sector’s biggest M&A deals of all… Read More
With the tech industry in the midst of a takeover boom, Microsoft’s $26bn purchase of professional social platform LinkedIn could be a turning point. At least that is what the majority of takeover advisors and tech investors are hoping for, the same people who had already been predicting a resurgence of M&A within the sector before the LinkedIn deal was announced on Monday. A slump in the share prices of some listed… Read More