September has proven to be another busy month for mergers and acquisitions globally, with 63 deals tracked overall by Results – the same number of deals as in August.
Private equity remains an active segment of the market with 13 deals, representing 21% of all deals in September. This sector is picking up again, with activity last seen around this level in March this year (19). Private equity still lags behind mergers and acquisitions, with it's 49 deals representing 78% of the total market.
Results predicts good ongoing buyer and investor appetite for the coming months.
Comparing regions, in September North America was again the most active with 25 targets acquired. Meanwhile there were eight in the UK and 17 in Western Europe, which reflected a material uptick on the mainland, including seven French deals.
Deals of note in the month included:
Kin & Karta Plc divested Incite to insight, data and technology group Strat7, which is backed by Horizon. Incite is an award-winning insight consultancy with offices in the UK and US operating across technology, financial services, healthcare, retail and FMCG.
DBAY Advisors agreed a deal with SQLI to acquire the remaining shares outside their ownership. SQLI is a global commerce and digital experience group that was listed on the Paris exchange, with a 22.5% premium over the weighted six month share price.
S4 Capital announced its merger with Zemoga Inc through new unitary brand Media.Monks, representing a further expansion into technology services. Zemoga Inc is a leading digital transformation agency specialising in design, engineering and delivery across enterprise clients.
Catch was acquired by Waterland-backed Sideshow Group as their acquisition roadmap moves forward at pace. Much like the Strat7 deal with Incite, this is another example of activity and momentum from private equity-backed companies who are challenging traditional competitors. Catch is a London and Madrid digital experience platform specialist with significant enterprise and global capability.
James Kesner is director at Results.
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