Experian Corpfin has confirmed Grant Thornton UK as the number one financial adviser to UK companies by deal volume for 2012, with reported deals advised on rising to 121.
This is the second year Grant Thornton has topped the annual ranking and was achieved despite the total volume of industry deals falling by three per cent last year.
The technology (30 deals), consumer (21 deals) and manufacturing & industrial (26 deals) sectors were the busiest in terms of deal activity that Grant Thornton advised on during 2012.
Investment into the UK continued in 2012, with 25 per cent of deals taking place across borders, suggesting that businesses are looking outside domestic markets for growth and that the UK is still perceived as a safer haven for investors compared to other European markets.
Geoff Davies, head of corporate finance at Grant Thornton UK, says: “Despite economic conditions remaining tough throughout 2012, we have grown our market share and are delighted to be confirmed as the number one deal advisers by reported volume of deals. The UK has strong, established businesses and continues to be seen as a safe entry point to access European markets. This is making the UK an attractive investment market and contributing to the number of cross border deals we’ve advised on.
“It is not surprising to see technology, manufacturing and industrial companies continuing to forge deals as they are heavily reliant on technical expertise, research & development and intellectual property, areas where UK companies have strong offerings. Mergers and acquisitions enable companies to acquire new assets or sell off non-core ones to release funds. For consumer markets, the acquisition of highly valued brands remains an effective way of entering new markets and pursuing targeted growth.”
Major deals for Grant Thornton UK during 2012 have included IHC’s acquisition of Adelie Food Holdings, the sale of Gyron Internet to NTT Communications and DVB Bank’s sale of its majority shareholding in TES Holdings to Mitsubishi Corporation and the Development Bank of Japan.
