Government intervenes on foreign takeover bids for UK defence firms Industrials Ministers have intervened in a flurry of foreign takeover attempts on British defence firms in the past year over concerns the bids posed a threat to national security, City AM can reveal. The government unit that scrutinises takeovers “called in” 24 proposed bids from foreign buyers between the first quarter of 2025 and the end [...]
Wealth advisory firm set for £240m sale as bidders circle Markets Wealth advisory firm Equiom is set for a potential £240m sale in what would be the latest in a wave of dealmaking across the sector, City AM can reveal. The Isle of Man headquartered firm, which counts family offices and high net worth individuals among its client base, is currently running a sale process and [...]
City law firm Shoosmiths launches Microsoft-led AI tool for junior lawyers Legal City law firm Shoosmiths has launched a generative AI tool built with tech giant Microsoft to assist junior lawyers firm-wide in reviewing contracts. The firm said the tool is trained on insight from lawyers at Shoosmiths, including from its M&A practice, and follows a year-long pilot and building programme with Microsoft to enable junior lawyers [...]
Iran conflict could cause further decline to M&A, leading tax firm warns June 2, 2026 Merger and acquisition deal activity could see a further hit this financial quarter if the US and Iran do not reach a resolution to the conflict, a leading tax and accountancy firm has warned. The number of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisition (M&A) transactions involving a change in majority share ownership fell to 352 [...]
Unilever gets Marmite reaction to McCormick deal as investor fury spreads April 28, 2026 Unilever is facing a mounting investor backlash over its recent multibillion-pound tie-up with US food giant McCormick, with shareholders accusing the consumer goods behemoth of rushing the deal through without a vote and loading the new vehicle up with too much debt. Shareholders in the FTSE-100 conglomerate told City AM that they were supportive overall [...]
Private equity buyouts slump amid AI fears and Middle East conflict April 6, 2026 The value of buyouts by private equity groups fell by more than a third in the first quarter of the year, with dealmakers warning that concerns over AI’s impact on software businesses and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict could hasten the downturn. In the three months to March, private equity groups agreed acquisitions worth $172bn [...]
Diploma: Shares in FTSE 100 giant boom after profit upgrade March 18, 2026 Shares in specialist tech supplier Diploma boomed on Wednesday morning after the group slapped a hefty upgrade on its financial targets for 2026. The firm’s stock was up as much as 15 per cent on open to 5,771.06p. It came as the FTSE 100 giant said it expects revenue growth to come in at nine [...]
Foreign buyers circle ‘undervalued’ UK firms March 4, 2026 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 [...]
Quality over quantity: UK M&A volume slips but deal value climbs February 4, 2026 UK merger and acquisition deal value increased last year despite a fall in volumes as investors turned their focus to acquiring fewer, higher-quality assets. The total number of UK deals fell 12 per cent year on year to 2,991, down from 3,411 in 2024, according to the latest industry trends data from PwC. But overall [...]
‘Extreme shareholder destruction’: Fitzwalter dials up assault on Auction Technology Group January 12, 2026 Auction Technology Group management have been accused of overseeing a period of “extreme shareholder destruction” by its largest shareholder, in the latest salvo of a feud that has seen the auction platform provider rebuff 11 takeover approaches from the firm. In a blistering update to markets on Monday, Fitzwalter Capital said Auction Technology Group’s (ATG) [...]