26 corporate finance
Grant Thornton continues to lead the way for finance deals
Experian Corpfin has confirmed Grant Thornton UK LLP as the number one financial adviser to UK companies by deal volume for the third year in a row. The firm advised on 131 deals in 2013 and outperformed the market – recording an 8% increase on 2012 compared to the 2.9% uptick in total volume of industry deals last year
In a sign of the continuing economic recovery, aggregate deal value for the entire market also increased in 2013, reaching £251 billion – the first time yearly values have broken the £250b mark since 2009.
Business support services and industrials were the busiest sectors for Grant Thornton last year, with 36 and 35 deals completed respectively. The financial services and technology sectors followed closely behind, with 24 deals each.
Perhaps one of the highest-profile corporate finance deals Grant Thornton advised on last year was the sale of Thomson Local.
Following a strategic review Thomson Local’s parent company, SEAT Pagine Gialle, decided to sell the Thomson Local business and Grant Thornton was appointed to advise on the disposal process. Its advisers assisted the Thomson Local management team with maximising value from the sale of the business and ran a targeted disposal process, identifying and approaching potential buyers through its network of sector specialists, regional advisory teams and international member firms.
Other deals overseen by Grant Thornton last year included Sutton Group, IntelliFlo and construction firm CPI Group.
’... corporates are sitting on record high levels of cash, which they need either to return to shareholders, invest in their existing operations or use to acquire new businesses’
The UK remains an attractive proposition for international companies wanting to grow outside of domestic markets with investment into the UK continuing in 2013 and nearly a fifth (18%) of Grant Thornton deals taking place across borders.
Paul Stout, who leads corporate finance advisory at Grant Thornton’s Southampton
levels of cash, which they need either to return to shareholders, invest in their existing operations or use to acquire new businesses. At Grant Thornton we have been busy helping our clients achieve these goals. We are delighted that, for the third year in a row, we have been confirmed as the number one financial adviser to UK companies by deal volume.“
’Leading the way’, Grant Thornton’s report into corporate finance deals, can be downloaded from:
www.grant-thornton.co.uk/en/ Publications/2014/Leading-the-way-A-review- of-corporate-finance-deals-in-2013/
Details: Paul Stout
023-8038-1265
www.grant-thornton.co.uk
office, said: “Overall deal activity in the UK market picked up in 2013 and, looking ahead, we are optimistic that conditions are in place for a continuing improvement in transaction volumes and values in the coming year. The outlook for the UK economy is more positive than it has been for some time and this growing confidence is feeding through into improved sentiment among corporates and financial institutions.
“IPO activity increased significantly last year, both on the main market and AIM, and there is a healthy pipeline of forthcoming listings for 2014. In addition, appetite for lending among banks is growing, particularly for larger transactions, and the terms being extended are increasingly borrower friendly. Against this more benign backdrop, corporates are sitting on record high
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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JUNE 2014
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