US platform buys Seedrs for $100m after CMA blocks Crowdcube merger on home turf December 1, 2021 UK crowdfunding platform Seedrs is being acquired by US investment platform Republic, just months after the UK’s competition watchdog blocked its plans to merge with homegrown rival Crowdcube. In a transatlantic deal that values Seedrs at approximately $100m (£75m), the two platforms are billing the combined entity as “the first global private investment marketplace with [...]
Billionaire Issa brothers plot $35bn merger of Asda with their EG Group petrol stations November 27, 2021 The billionaire brothers behind last year’s mammoth acquisition of Asda are now mulling a merger of the grocer with their petrol and forecourts business EG Group. A merger between the two businesses is one of a few strategy options that the Blackburn-based entrepreneurs are considering for their global forecourt empire EG group. If they were [...]
Clyde & Co eyes up merger with law firm BLM November 26, 2021 Clyde & Co is reportedly in discussions with its smaller rival BLM about a merger between the two law firms, according to reports. The talks between the firms are still in the initial stages, according to Rollonfriday, a British legal news website, which first reported the development. With a turnover at Clyde of almost £640m [...]
Martin Gilbert’s AssetCo enters bidding war for River & Mercantile November 23, 2021 Fund management veteran Martin Gilbert has been thrown into a bidding war for River and Mercantile (R&M) after the asset manager revealed it has been approached by more than one suitor. Both AssetCo, an Aim-listed acquisition vehicle chaired by Gilbert, and rival fund manager Premier Miton have made bids for R&M. Both firms already have [...]
It’s happened: Global M&A hits all-time record of $5 trillion in 2021 November 18, 2021 Dealmaking has reached new heights this year, as the momentum seen each quarter continued unabated and propelled the global M&A market to a new all-time record of $5 trillion in deals – with still one month to go. As of yesterday, global transactions have topped $5 trillion so far this year – already 40 per [...]
UK government opens national security probe into Nvidia’s $54bn Arm deal November 16, 2021 The UK government has launched a a full-blown national security investigation into Nvidia’s planned takeover of British chip designer Arm, introducing another obstacle in the way of the $54bn deal. Digital and culture secretary Nadine Dorries has ordered a “phase 2” investigation into whether the deal operates against public interest, thus instructing the UK competition [...]
UK government set to launch national security probe into Nvidia’s $54bn takeover of ARM November 14, 2021 Ministers are lining up a full-blown national security investigation into Nvidia’s planned $54bn takeover of British chip designer ARM, after months of negotiations between regulators and the US chip company. The investigation is likely to be announced on Tuesday week, after digital and culture secretary Nadine Dorries orders a “phase 2” probe into Nvidia’s acquisition [...]
Software group Micro Focus to sell portfolio for $375m, causing shares to climb November 3, 2021 Micro Focus International announced today that it will be selling its archiving and risk management portfolio to Smarsh for $375m.
Dealmakers brace themselves for 2022 surge in UK M&A November 1, 2021 A survey of top dealmakers has revealed widespread conviction that the number of M&A deals in the UK will surge in the next 12 months, driven by an uptick in distressed deals as well as an expected flurry of activity in the TMT sector. After the number of mergers and acquisitions involving UK companies dipped [...]
FinnCap shares soar after M&A deal frenzy hikes revenue by 55 per cent October 4, 2021 Shares in Finncap, the AIM-listed tech and life sciences small cap broker, closed 4.29 per cent higher today after the firm posted robust half year results. FinnCap said that unaudited revenue was up 55 per cent to £32m in the six months to 30 September this year, after the firm advised on £1bn worth of M&A [...]