Key Contacts: Eoghan Doyle – Partner  |  Andrew Tzialli – Partner

We are pleased to introduce the second issue of M&A Insights. M&A Insights is a quarterly insight guide that looks at transactions in Ireland and the UK and the impact that the international market has on corporate transactions in these jurisdictions.

This insight has been created in partnership with Experian, the global information services company using their comprehensive database of business and financial information which monitors and tracks the behaviour of businesses in the UK and Ireland.

The second edition in the series and is informed by data gathered on deal activity across Q1 2022 in the Irish and UK markets.

Spotlight on owner-managed businesses

In this edition, our spotlight section is focused on the backbone of the Irish and UK economies; owner-managed businesses. We are delighted to have contributions from:

  • Dr John Teeling, entrepreneur and founder of the Cooley and Great Northern Distilleries
  • Mark Flood, co-founder and director, Renatus Capital Partners
  • David Lucas, head of corporate finance, PKF O’Connor, Leddy & Holmes Limited

From an Irish market perspective, and despite the vast number of economic and geopolitical challenges facing businesses, there was an encouraging level of deal flow in Q1 with the international market playing a significant role. Once again, buyers from the UK and the USA lead the way when it came to interest in Irish companies. In terms of outbound deals, Irish bidders were again most active in the UK and the USA markets, where deal numbers were consistent with Q4 2021, and similar to the inbound deals, the most popular sectors were manufacturing and professional, scientific, and technical activities.

Geopolitical and economic uncertainty seems to have, thus far, had more of an impact on Q1 2022 domestic UK M&A, than that felt in Ireland. That said, activity in inbound and outbound cross-border UK M&A was still very buoyant. Acquisitions by UK companies predominantly took place in the US and Ireland, with companies in those jurisdictions returning the favour. Technology, media and telecoms, was once again the primary focus for inbound and outbound UK transactions.

 

Please click here to download the full guide.