Quarter one 2015 review

M&A activity started strongly in 2015, reaching the highest first quarter level since 2007. According to the latest Quarterly M&A Report from Zephyr, mergers and acquisitions targeting Western European companies in the first three months of 2015 rose to £197.7 billion, which represents a growth of 25% over the two previous quarters.

 

UK companies were targeted in deals worth a collective £61.8 billion in Q1 2015, putting the country top in the Western European rankings by value and marking the second consecutive increase.

 

According to global consulting firm Towers Watson, the M&A trend that started mid-2014 remains bright, both in terms of deal value and deal activity. The company commented that there is a “growing drive from corporates to turn to M&A as a key strategic and competitive driver”.