UK companies ‘spending billions on foreign acquisitions’

Posted 07/06/2011

The value of international mergers and acquisitions involving UK companies in the first quarter of 2011 was at its highest level since 2007, new figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed.

A total of £18.3 billion was spent by UK-based enterprises on acquisitions overseas in the first three months of the year, a significant rise from the £3.8 billion that was recorded in the last quarter of 2010.

It was the strongest activity for a three-month period since the end of 2007, when over £25 billion was invested in this activity.

However, the level of expenditure domestically was more subdued, with £1.2 billion being spent by British firms to acquire other enterprises in the UK.

This was the weakest result since the second quarter of 2009, with 60 transactions taking place, down from 83 in the last three months of 2010.

Last month, it was confirmed that two organisations in the UK that will be undergoing merger talks this year are the British Insurance Brokers’ Association and the Institute of Insurance Brokers, which will seek to combine their companies by the end of 2011.