London PR firm Powerscourt snapped up amid flurry of comms M&A activity October 11, 2023 US advisory business Morrow Sodali has bought London communications agency Powerscourt for an undisclosed sum, the companies confirmed today.
Renewi shareholders ask bidder to raise £636m stake October 8, 2023 A major shareholder in Renewi has reportedly asked its board not to engage with Australian global financial services group Macquarie until it raises its £636m bid for the firm. According to reports in The Times, the Anglo-Dutch waste management company rejected an offer of 775p a share from Macquarie last month, on the grounds that [...]
How is technology changing M&A? September 13, 2023 | City Talk Technology is constantly evolving, offering new tools, inspiring best practices, and creating benefits for today’s dealmakers. And it’s completely changing the way M&A is being done. Doug Cullen, Chief Product and Strategy Officer for Datasite, recently spoke with Alex Clemente, managing director for HBR Analytics Services, about how technology is impacting M&A. How has M&A changed how [...]
A damp start for EMEA M&A, but bright spots emerging for dealmakers August 8, 2023 | City Talk The EMEA M&A market is being impacted by market pressures. High inflation, dampening economic demand, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war mean that dealmakers are operating in a period of uncertainty. What does this mean for dealmakers? A material impact on M&A activity in the region. Challenges persist for dealmakers Per Mergermarket data, the aggregate value [...]
Mid-market M&A remains resilient as UK market hopes for deal surge July 20, 2023 Mid-market deal activity in the UK has remained resilient despite a fall in the overall level of deals year-on-year, according to new data from Big Four firm PwC. In the first half of the year mid-market deals worth less than £1bn increased 1.8 per cent in the UK as smaller deals remained easier to finalise [...]
Gresham House to be taken private in £470m deal with US-based Searchlight Capital July 17, 2023 Gresham House will become the latest UK-listed firm to be taken private after agreeing a £470m deal with US-based private equity company Searchlight Capital. Shareholders in the AIM-listed fund manager, which invests in assets such as forestry and solar farms, will receive 1,105p per share, a premium of 63 per cent to its closing price [...]
STV buys Greenbird Media for £21.4m and gains hit series in growth push July 6, 2023 STV has acquired Greenbird Media, an unscripted television production network, for £24.1m today in a “transformative” drive for greater growth across the UK and globally. The Scottish broadcaster, which has brought popular dramas like Antiques Road Trip, Celebrity Catchphrase and Blue Lights to UK television screens, is bolstering its STV Studios production division with the [...]
A Better Way Forward for M&A Pipeline Management July 4, 2023 | City Talk Pipeline management – identifying, building, and managing potential targets and opportunities – is key to success for M&A dealmakers. However, the process can be extremely inefficient. Dealmakers often rely on spreadsheets that are not purpose-built for tracking M&A opportunities, lack sophisticated automation to optimize workflows, and don’t link with other M&A technologies being used. A [...]
Uncertainty but Optimism for Benelux M&A June 6, 2023 | City Talk Despite rising inflation, increasing interest rates, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and more, uncertainty remains the biggest issue for M&A dealmaking in the Benelux region in 2023. Nevertheless, the market remains resilient and there are still a lot of opportunities to be had. These were the key conclusions from panellists at a recent event in [...]
Navigating Nordic M&A in 2023 June 6, 2023 | City Talk At a recent event in Copenhagen, panellists met to discuss the headwinds and tailwinds affecting dealmaking in the Nordics. The conclusions? While inflation and higher interest rates will continue to challenge the market, realism and strategic discipline should help drive M&A in the region in the months ahead. Inflation and interest rates The record rate [...]