European dealmakers top global M&A rankings for second consecutive year December 17, 2019 Europe was the only region to enjoy a positive M&A performance in 2019 amid a global downturn that will continue into 2020, according to new analysis. European dealmakers marginally outperformed their regional index by 0.6 percentage points over the last year despite a poor performance from UK buyers, according to research by insurer Willis Towers [...]
M&A activity targeting UK slumps amid no-deal Brexit fears September 12, 2019 Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity targeting the UK has fallen almost 40 per cent on the same period last year, with investors slowing down decision making amid ongoing political turmoil. Corporate M&A also tumbled to £15.1bn in the second quarter of 2019, its lowest value since the EU referendum according to data from Mergermarket. Read [...]
Entrepreneurs, learn to let go of your business September 3, 2019 For many entrepreneurs, successfully selling their business is validation that their years of hard work have paid off. It should be the happiest time of their lives, but it can actually be one filled with mixed emotions. I know this, because that’s what I experienced myself. In 2012, I co-founded an electronic point of sale [...]
Companies that buy divested assets more likely to outperform index August 21, 2019 Companies that bought carved-out portions of other businesses were more likely to outperform their industry average, a study has found. Over half (53 per cent) of companies that bought divested assets during the first half of the year outperformed their MSCI Global index by an average of one percentage point, according to research published today [...]
Lazard beats expectations after financial advisory firm gets M&A boost April 25, 2019 Investment advisory firm Lazard's shares climbed eight per cent today after it posted better-than-expected first quarter results. Overall revenue at the New York-listed company fell 14 per cent to $620m (£480m), while analysts had predicted a figure of $589m according to Yahoo Finance. Investors were cheered by the news that Lazard’s key mergers and acquisitions [...]
On the rocks: Brewery openings stall as multinationals move in April 22, 2019 A boom in new brewery sites has slowed down dramatically in the last 12 months as multinational firms muscle in on the growing demand for craft beer. Read more: Carlsberg promotes negative tweets about its own beer Growing competition from large businesses has hindered smaller brewers from setting up new outlets, causing the growth in openings [...]
Rentokil set to continue acquisition spree while organic growth continues April 18, 2019 Pest control expert Rentokil Initial said this morning it is planning to continue an acquisition-heavy strategy and is likely to spend between £200m and £250m on takeovers this year. The firm showed 4.9 per cent growth from takeovers in the first three months of the year, while organic revenue grew at four per cent. Read [...]
City takeover watchdog boss apologises for emailing business leaders to sign anti-Brexit petition March 29, 2019 A City watchdog boss has apologised for wading into the Brexit debate after urging a number of high-profile business contacts to sign a controversial petition to revoke Article 50. Anthony Pullinger, who is listed as a deputy director general of the City's takeover panel, which oversees mergers and acquisitions, last week emailed a long list [...]
UK digital advertising spend to grow to £15bn in 2019, report states March 4, 2019 Spending on digital advertising in the UK is set to grow to more than £15bn this year amid a boom in new digital marketing technology, a new report has revealed. Digital ad spend will enjoy double-digit growth in 2019 as the industry moves away from traditional media forms, according to the latest forecasts by Barclays [...]
Rampant rodents: Rats on the rise last summer boost finances at pest control giant Rentokil February 28, 2019 Pest control giant Rentokil’s shares rose on Thursday morning as it said its services had been in high demand through last year’s long, hot summer. The blue chip firm also announced it would replace its chairman of more than a decade, John McAdam, with senior director at Aston Martin, Richard Solomons. Read more: CMA orders [...]