Foreign buyers circle ‘undervalued’ UK firms Markets Foreign buyers continued to circle “undervalued” UK firms in the final quarter of last year, new figures show, with the value of inward Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) surging to its highest level in four years. The total value of deals in which foreign companies acquired UK firms rocketed to £27.4bn in the final quarter of [...]
Elliott turns the page on London’s IPO drought with Waterstones listing plan Investing Elliott Management is preparing a multibillion-pound flotation of Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, with a listing expected next year and London edging out New York as the preferred venue. The US hedge fund has reportedly begun sounding out advisers ahead of a potential IPO, with banks likely to be appointed in early 2026. While no [...]
UK a ‘standout’ destination for deals despite economic uncertainty Business The UK remains a “standout” destination for dealmaking among European peers despite wider economic uncertainty, new data shows. Global law firm White & Case LLP’s M&A Explorer found the UK was the top destination for mergers and acquisitions in Europe in the first six months of the year. Some 1,207 transactions worth a total of $118.6bn [...]
BGF’s £3bn pledge offers hope amid concerns over UK competitiveness May 28, 2025 The Business Growth Fund (BGF) has unveiled a £3bn commitment to back British businesses over the next five years which includes £500m earmarked for early stage start-ups in deep tech and life sciences. The organisation, which is one of the UK’s most prominent equity investors, has made the announcement at a pivotal time for the [...]
London loses Europe tech crown to Paris May 21, 2025 Paris has overtaken London as Europe’s leading tech hub for the first time, reigniting concerns over the competitiveness of the UK’s biggest city for a vital sector. The French capital has been named as the only non-US city in the world’s top five global ecosystems, according to Dealroom’s 2025 global tech ecosystem index, overturning years [...]
Deliveroo’s sale reignites fear over UK’s tech exodus May 9, 2025 When London-headquartered Deliveroo announced in early May that it had agreed to be acquired by US delivery giant Doordash, it triggered more than just a major shakeup in the food tech sector. To many in the industry, it was a familiar story – yet another prominent British tech firm snapped up by an overseas buyer. [...]
Key takeaways from Deliveroo’s Doordash deal May 6, 2025 Deliveroo’s 2021 flotation had been tipped as London’s hottest IPO. Within days it was rebranded one of the worst in history. The company had been valued at a whopping £7.6bn, making it one of the top tech firms in Britain and propelling its co-founder, Will Shu, from relative obscurity to a star CEO with a [...]
Deliveroo reaches agreement on £2.9bn DoorDash takeover May 6, 2025 The board of Deliveroo has said it has “reached agreement” on the terms of a takeover offer by US rival DoorDash as it prepares to exit the London Stock Exchange. The offer of 180p per share represents a premium of 44 per cent on Deliveroo’s closing share price on the day prior to the acquisition, [...]
Deliveroo suspends share buyback programme amid Doordash offer April 28, 2025 Deliveroo has suspended its £100m share buyback programme after receiving a proposal from US-rival Doordash. The takeaway giant had unveiled the programme, which would have brought its shareholder returns to £550m since 2023, in its March full-year results. Deliveroo said it could recommence the programme at a later date. On April 25 the company confirmed [...]
Deliveroo approach from Doordash failed but analysts say it ‘may only be the start’ June 26, 2024 Deliveroo, which has long been seen as a target for a merger or acquisition, may not have agreed to a deal this occasion, but analysts at Jefferies said the approach "may only be the start".