US competition watchdog follows UK and blocks Microsoft’s $68bn Activision swoop June 13, 2023 America’s competition watchdog, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has moved again to prevent Microsoft from acquiring Call Of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. The US regulator asked a court to temporarily block the $68.7bn (£54.7bn) merger, which it believes could significantly reduce competition in the market. In December, the FTC issued an initial legal complaint, saying, [...]
Private equity giant CVC drawing up bid for Center Parcs June 5, 2023 Global private equity firm CVC Capital Partners is reportedly drawing up an offer to buy Center Parcs after its current owner Brookfield put the holiday resort chain up for sale last month.
‘Feeding time’: Why one retail group is on the hunt for distressed operators June 4, 2023 A business group which rescued upmarket chocolatier Montezuma from collapse has said it is looking to continue on its acquisition spree – noting that the current tough trading climate is “feeding time” for stronger players in the market. “In recent years, there have been so many distressed businesses that we have been able to pick [...]
European insurance M&A deals hit record high as investors shrugged off recession and interest rate fears March 22, 2023 The market for M&A deals involving European insurance companies surged in 2022, as private equity funds continued to drive the market forwards, despite the headwinds facing the global economy. The boom saw investors shrug off rising interest rates to complete a record 435 M&A deals in 2022, up from 285 in 2020 and 379 in [...]
Insurance sector deal-making hits decade high but 2023 outlook remains shaky February 26, 2023 Insurance sector M&A deals surged to a 10-year high in 2022, as the end of Covid-19 drove an uptick in deal-making activity. Insurance companies completed 449 M&A deals last year, marking the highest number of deals for a decade, new data from Clyde & Co shows. The surge in deals, from 418 in 2021 to [...]
Big Four look to hire London’s laid-off bankers to bolster their M&A teams February 6, 2023 The Big Four accounting firms – Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – are seeking to hire laid-off bankers to bolster the ranks of their M&A advisory arms in the City. Top execs told City A.M. the world’s biggest professional services firms are seeking to capitalise on the downturn in big M&A deals by poaching talent [...]
Size matters: Womble Bond Dickinson merger with BDB Pitmans canned as it ‘would be more like a takeover acquisition’ February 1, 2023 Womble Bond Dickinson and BDB Pitmans have scrapped plans for a merger, the firms confirmed today, as analysts suggested the relative size of the former would mean a merger would, in reality, be more like a takeover. The law firms, who first entered talks in Autumn 2022, said in a joint statement they had “decided [...]
How global dealmaking fell to a 10-year low in 2022 – and why executives aren’t worried January 31, 2023 The value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) globally dropped 36 per cent last year to a 10-year low but executives remain confident for dealmaking in 2023, a new report from Bain shows. The report, which was released today, shows that M&A, particularly mega-deals worth more than $10bn, slumped from June 2022 after five months of [...]
Howden’s revenues jump 60 per cent as insurance broker looks to capitalise on ‘very turbulent’ market January 30, 2023 Insurance broker Howden today posted “record” results for 2022, reporting a 60 per cent increase in revenue, with its chief executive adding that the firm was primed to further profit from the economic uncertainty heading into 2023. The insurance broker’s chief executive David Howden told City A.M. has said the London firm is primed to [...]
Is this the end of law firm IPOs? January 30, 2023 British law firms have traditionally stayed away from public markets. Yet following a series of IPOs over the past eight years, there are now six UK law firms listed on the stock exchange. Gateley became the first UK law firm to launch an IPO in 2015 after floating on London’s alternative investment market (AIM). In [...]