M&A activity shows foreign decrease, domestic increase

The value of foreign acquisitions by British companies in the second quarter of 2011 fell by more than half from the first quarter total, from £20.7 billion to £10.2 billion.

The figures issued from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicated that the value of purchases made in the UK by foreign businesses rose by 57 per cent to £8.5 billion in the same period, indicating that British businesses continue to be highly sought after.

The statistics also showed that British companies have focused their recent acquisition activities within the UK, with domestic acquisitions rising to £2.2 billion in the second quarter of 2011 - up 69 per cent compared with the first quarter of the year, as companies sought out targets closer to home, to make the most of local value.

The head of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at Ernst & Young, Rhys Philip, said that the findings indicated that the second quarter had brought some "general confidence", with the general settling of macro-economic conditions. He said, however, that figures for the third quarter are going to be anyone's guess, as the deepening Greek crisis and down-grading of the US's credit rating had "thrown everything in the air".

Share this article

Latest Businesses for Sale

View more businesses for sale