Mergers & Acquisitions in June 2018

The first half of 2018 has seen high levels of M&A activity across most major sectors. June was no different, with 211 deals completed across the UK, according to Zephyr.

 

One of the highest value deals was the acquisition of UBM plc, a market leading B2B events organiser, by Informa. The deal value was £3.8bn and created a company with a combined market value of over £9bn.

 

UBM are responsible for over 300 business events each year, and operate across the globe, with a recent presence in the Middle East. The combined group will be able to challenge other large competitors and accelerate growth.

 

Other high value deals include the acquisition of MRH (GB) Ltd by Motor Fuel Group Ltd, the sale of John Guest Holdings to Reliance Worldwide Corporation, and the acquisition of The Equitable Life Assurance Society by Life Company Consolidation Group Ltd.

 

A wide variety of sectors saw significant investments and deals taking place, which is likely to continue throughout the remainder of 2018.

 

In the food industry, Aunt Bessie’s Ltd, the well-known frozen food company, was acquired by Nomad Foods Ltd, in a deal worth £212m. The deal sees Nomad Foods, an industry giant, grow its market share yet further and acquire another respected and popular high street brand.

 

Gap Consulting, an industry leader within CRM consultancy services, was acquired by Incremental Group Holdings. This was one of many deals within the professional services sector, which highlights this as a sector to watch over the upcoming months.

 

Again, a number of energy and renewable energy companies were involved in acquisitions, which is a trend we have been seeing over the past few months.

 

Other sectors which saw high activity levels this month were waste disposal, manufacturing and journalism and publishing.

 

Overall, a large amount of deals took place over the month of June and the total deal value came to £6.3bn, a significant increase on previous months. This highlights the ongoing growth and success of the UK’s M&A market.

 

The first steps of entry into this market start with a company valuation. A reliable and fast valuation can be obtained using our free online calculator. Alternatively, contact our experienced team to discuss the potential value of your company and the current M&A market.