William Fry mid-year Merger and Acquisition Review 2018 shows 92% of total deals were in €5m-€250m bracket
The William Fry mid-year Merger and Acquisition Review 2018 shows that despite some global uncertainty, the first six months of 2018 were notably buoyant for Ireland’s merger and acquisition (M&A) market.
Key findings from the first half of 2018 include:
Record half-year deal value with 76 deals with a combined value of €70.9bn
41 outbound transactions with a deal value of €3.5bn, up from €717m in H1 2017
92% of total deals were in the mid-market (€5m-€250m) bracket
55 international deals worth €70.7bn, remaining stable with H1 2017 (56)
17 private equity deals with a value of €1bn
Shane O’Donnell, Head of Corporate/M&A at William Fry, commented, “Following on from the levels of activity experienced last year, the first six months of 2018 have been notably buoyant for the Irish M&A market. 76 deals worth €70.9bn targeting Irish firms gave rise to a record half-year deal value. Mid-market activity continues to be the engine of M&A in Ireland with over 90% of deal.”
Stephen Keogh, Corporate Partner, looking forward noted, “Ireland remains an active M&A market. Although talk of trade wars and Brexit pose uncertainty, there is much to suggest that both foreign and domestic buyers will still be active in the Irish M&A market in addition to Irish buyers continuing to look further afield for attractive acquisitions.