United Kingdom - M&A Statistics
M&A Information about the United Kingdom. In this section, we provide you some information about M&A with regards to the United Kingdom. The IMAA Insitute offers full individual and corporate members additional prepared research covering a broad range of topics.
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M&A UK – Mergers & Acquisitions in the United Kingdom
In this section of the M&A statistics, we collect and regularly update information on national M&A as well as cross-border M&A UK from (outbound) and into (inbound) England. As a free user or paying member of our Institute, you have full access and can also download more M&A data for the UK and documents (please see our Membership section to sign in or to register).
Announced M&A in the UK by Numbers & Value by Years
Since 1985, more than 103’070 mergers & acquisitions transactions have been announced with a known value of almost 5’688 bil. GBP. In 2017, over 3’916 deals with a total value of 326 bil. GBP have taken place. While the number of M&A have decrease in most parts of the world, this represents a growth in deals by +7.3% compared to 2016. Whereas the value has increased even more by +33%. The record of number of deals took place in 2000 where more than 5’100 transactions had been announced. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the number of deals from 1988 to 2015 was 1.85% while the value grew at 8.09%.
If you are interested in the historical M&A trends in the UK, we provide a chart below.
Announced Monthly M&A in the UK
In December 2017, 263 transactions with a value of 22.5 bil. GBP have been announced. Compared with December last year, this represents a decrease of -11.7% in terms of numbers and a decrease of -32.4% in value. On a month by month comparison with November 2017, the decrease in numbers was -8% with an increase in value by +108%. The month with the largest number of announced transactions was in 2000 with 395 deals, the highest value in January was in 2000 as well with 65 bil. GBP. The month with the highest number of deals was April 2008 with 536 announced deals. The highest value in a month was reached in November 1999 with 174 bil. GBP.
The month with the highest frequency of deals is July with 8’771 deals which represents 9% of all M&A. August is the month with the lowest frequency with 7’241 transactions which are 7.5% of the deals.
The month with the highest value of deals is November with 609 bil. GBP of deals which represents 11.6% of all M&A transactions. August is not only the month with the lowest frequency, but also with the lowest value with transactions worth 339 bil. GBP which are 6.5% of all deals.
Announced Quarterly M&A in the UK
Announced M&A in the UK by Industries (2000-2018)
The industry with the largest M&A activity in terms of transaction value has been the financial sector – representing 16.6% of all deals with a total value of 625 bil. GBP. Second most important industry by value is the Energy & Power sector with 531 bil. GBP worth of transactions. The materials industry reached the third rank with 348 bil. GBP of deals. While last year there had been a new world record set in deal making in the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry, we provide statistics on the global trend on our M&A statistics page, the healthcare sector ranks only 6th in UK M&A.
The industry with the largest number of transactions has been consumer products and services – representing 15.5% with a total number of over 9’700 transactions. The second most active acquirers are companies from high technology with more than 8’000 deals accounting for 13.1% of transactions. Industrial companies are the third most frequent industry in terms of consolidation with 12.5% of all deals.
Largest M&A Deals in the UK
| Rank | Year | Acquirer* | Target* | Value (in bil. GBP) | Value (in bil. USD) | Value (in bil. EUR) | Status |
| 1 | 1999 | Vodafone AirTouch PLC | Mannesmann AG | 127.0 | 202.8 | 204.8 | Completed |
| 2 | 2015 | Anheuser-Busch Inbev | SABMiller PLC | 71.2 | 109.3 | 95.5 | Completed |
| 3 | 2015 | Royal Dutch Shell PLC | BG Group PLC | 46.7 | 69.4 | 64.4 | Completed |
| 4 | 2000 | Glaxo Wellcome PLC | SmithKline Beecham PLC | 46.5 | 76.0 | 74.9 | Completed |
| 5 | 2004 | Royal Dutch Petroleum Co | Shell Transport & Trading Co | 40.8 | 74.6 | 58.5 | Completed |
| 6 | 2016 | British American Tobacco PLC | Reynolds American Inc | 40.1 | 49.05 | 45.06 | Pending |
| 7 | 1999 | Vodafone Group PLC | AirTouch Communications Inc | 36.3 | 60.3 | 51.7 | Completed |
| 8 | 2000 | France Telecom SA | Orange PLC | 31.1 | 46.0 | 50.8 | Completed |
| 9 | 1998 | British Petroleum Co PLC | Amoco Corp | 29.5 | 48.2 | 43.5 | Completed |
| 10 | 2016 | GE Oil & Gas | Baker Hughes Inc | 26.63 | 32.4 | 29.72 | Pending |
Announced M&A from the UK to Abroad (Outbound)
In 2017, UK companies have announced 1,232 acquisitions worth 108 bil. GBP. Compared with the year before the numbers have increased by +7% and the value has remained constant.
UK Acquisitions Abroad by Target Nation (2000-2018)
Below you will find a map of the number and value of transactions by UK companies abroad as well as a table of these countries. UK companies acquire most companies in United States, Germany, and France. China ranks 14th in terms of frequency of deals (see additional information on UK – China M&A below) while India which ranks 10th.
UK M&A Abroad by Numbers
UK M&A Abroad by Value (in bil. GBP)
M&A by Foreign Acquirers into the UK (Inbound)
In 2017, foreign companies have announced 1,355 deals in the UK with a value of 277.95 bil. GBP.
Compared with the year before the value has strongly increased by +69.6%.
Acquisitions by Foreign Companies into the UK by Acquirer Nation (2000-2018)
Below you will find maps of the numbers and value of transactions from foreign companies in the United Kingdom as well as a table of these countries. Most frequent acquirers into the UK come from United States, Germany, France and Ireland. China ranks 21th in terms of frequency of deals (see additional information on UK – China M&A below) lower than India which ranks 11th.
Map of Foreign M&A into the UK by Numbers
Map of Foreign M&A into the UK by Value (in bil. GBP)
Announced M&A from the UK into China and Hong Kong
Since 1988, UK companies have announced almost 691 acquisitions in China and Hong Kong with a total value of 49.47 bil. GBP.
Announced M&A from China & Hong Kong to the UK
Since 1988, companies from China and Hong Kong have announced more than 682 acquisitions with a total value of 152.2 bil. GBP. So companies from the UK have made more transactions in China and Hong Kong than companies from China and Hong Kong in the UK.(see above for more information on UK M&A into China). But companies from China and Hong Kong have spent more on acquisitions in the UK than British companies in China and Hong Kong. (see above for more information on UK M&A into China).
Cross-border M&A in and from the UK
Historical M&A in the UK since 1880
Source: Hannah (1976); Thomson Financial (2016); Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA) analysis
M&A Waves in the UK since 1880
In the UK, there have been so far more M&A waves than in the US since the late 1880s (please see here for US M&A waves).
Source: Hannah (1976); Thomson Financial (2016); Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA) analysis
UK M&A Data from the Office for National Statistics
In the UK, the Office for National Statistics also collects information about the number of M&A in the United Kingdom. Below we provide this data.
Source: The Office for National Statistics (2016)
Unless otherwise stated source for all statistics is: Thomson Financial, Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA) analysis.
Historical M&A Books
The Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA) has one of the largest collections of books and articles on this subject. Our individual and corporate members have access to part of our library online and fulltext for download.
Also we have accounted for books and articles written about combinations and mergers in the United Kingdom. As one example we provide free access to
- Fitzgerald, Patrick (1927): Industrial Combination in England, London: Isaac Pitman & Sons
- Macrosty, Henry W. (1907): The Trust Movement in British Industry, London: Longman, Green, and Co.
- Robertson, William Alexander (1912): Combination among Railway Companies, London: Constable & Company
Other UK M&A Reports
Apart from performing our own analysis on M&A trends, We collect reports from different sources:
M&A Market Tracker in Public Deals
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2011 – 1st Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2011 – 2nd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2011 – 3rd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2011 – 4th Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2012 – 1st Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2012 – 2nd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2012 – 3rd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2012 – 4th Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2013 – 1st Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2013 – 2nd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2013 – 3rd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2013 – 4th Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2014 – 1st Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2014 – 2nd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2014 – 3rd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2014 – 4th Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2015 – 1st Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2015 – 2nd Quarter
- Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies 2015 – 3rd Quarter
- All Mergers & Acquisitions involving UK Companies Reports as ZIP
Research Request Assistance
For additional information, IMAA’s Research team is ready to assist you. Kindly complete the form below, and we will respond promptly with a proposal detailing the timeline and associated costs. If you are an IMAA Charterholder, you are welcome to utilize your research credits for this service.
