PE Tech Report

NEWSLETTER

Like this article?

Sign up to our free newsletter

UK M&A activity at GBP37.5bn in first half of 2014

M&A activity targeting the UK stood at GBP37.5bn in the first half of 2014, representing the lowest half-year value since H1 2010 (GBP37bn) and a 12.5 per cent drop from H1 2013 (GBP42.9bn), according to MergerMarket.

Only one mega-deal (valued above USD5bn) has been announced in the region so far this year – the GBP8.6bn acquisition of the Oncology division of GlaxoSmithKline by its German peer Novartis.
 
The lack of large transactions in the country pulled the UK M&A value down this semester.
 
However, the second quarter of 2014 witnessed a stark improvement compared to the previous quarter (up 156.5 per cent, from GBP10.5bn to GBP27bn) and represented the highest quarterly value in the country since Q2 2012.
 
The pharma, medical & biotech (PMB) sector, driven by the Novartis/GlaxoSmithKline deal, was the most active industry with a 26.9 per cent market share (GBP10.1bn), and is in line with PMB leading global M&A with a 16.5 per cent market share. The proportion of PMB M&A in the UK and globally would have been even larger if the GBP69bn proposed acquisition of AstraZeneca by Pfizer went through.

Like this article? Sign up to our free newsletter

MOST POPULAR

FURTHER READING

Featured