UK M&A activity is set to improve over the next 12 months, according to 78% of the dealmakers who took part in CIL’s Investment 360 Index survey- with 85% saying that current deal activity is low, compared to 35% at the same time last year.

Arlington Capital Partners, a Washington, DC-based private equity firm, has acquired Avenu Insights & Analytics, a provider of integrated administrative, revenue enhancement and payment software and solutions to state and local governments, from Mill Point Capital.

Vista Equity Partners, a global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses is to invest in TRG Screen, a provider of enterprise subscription spend and usage management software.

Food and beverage (F&B) sector M&A activity saw an uptick in both the volume and value of deals during the second third (T2) of the year with the number of deals increasing by 68.2% over the same period last year, and deal value going up 49.1% to £400m.

Private equity firm Bridgepoint Group is exploring a potential sale of portfolio company Humanetics Group that could value the safety systems technology specialist at around $1.5bn, according to a report by Reuters.

Private equity firm Dynasty Equity has acquired a stake in English Premier League football club Liverpool FC from the owner Fenway Sports Group in a deal reportedly worth between £81m to £164M ($100m to $200m), according to a report by Proactive Investors.

Wells Fargo & Company has sold approximately $2bn in private equity investments in certain Norwest Equity Partners, and Norwest Mezzanine Partners funds to a group of leading investors, including AlpInvest Partners (a subsidiary of Carlyle), Atalaya Capital Management, Lexington Partners, and Pantheon.

Stonepeak, an alt investment firm focused on infrastructure and real assets, will pay €730m to acquire a 49% stake in Cellnex Nordics, the Swedish and Danish subsidiary of independent European telecoms infrastructure specialist Cellnex Telecom.