2018 - First Quarter Review

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Internally, 2018 has brought about a busy period of expansion for La Salle, demonstrated by the opening of our second Irish office in Belfast.

We have witnessed an appetite in the market for deals within the region with no signs of letting up as we move further into the year.

In addition, we have seen positive activity first-hand within the manufacturing and health sectors along with companies demonstrating steady growth.

Furthermore, there has been a rise in interest from many PE firms who clearly aren’t letting the potential economic uncertainties on the horizon put them off.

Looking at the broader M&A picture, this is also evident as the UK trails only the US and China in terms of deal value and volume of deals, and we are only behind the US in terms of targeted inbound acquisitions with $103 billion spent last year.

Again, growth has been back on the menu, crossing the $927 billion value mark in the first quarter is unprecedented, and it shows the appetite of businesses to acquire in order to stay ahead of competitors.

Many companies have demonstrated no let up in their willingness to spend in order to stay ahead and this is most evident within the technology, media and telecoms, consumer business, real estate, and energy and resources sectors with deal value posted at more than $2 trillion in combined deals worldwide.

To summarise, the current UK market is extremely buoyant. Outside investors are looking to the UK, PE firms are active in the market (sitting on a record $1 trillion of investor funds). Add to this, the urgency from companies to spend as they look to keep their noses in front of competitors and secure their long-term future ahead of any changes that Brexit and the global economic environment may bring.

For any company unsure of where they sit in the market, La Salle are on hand to provide both exit-strategy advice and guidance with growth through acquisition.

Regards,

Mark Whiteside
Head of Marketing
La Salle Corporate


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