Mergers & Acquisitions in November 2017

As we head into the final month of the year, we can safely say that 2017 has surpassed all initial expectations in terms of global acquisition volumes. Zephyr reports that so far this year, almost 30,000 M&A deals have been completed globally, with almost 2,000 completed during the month of November alone.

 

According to Zephyr, 130 deals involving UK targets were completed during November. Generating disclosed, combined values of over £7.7bn, many of these UK deals have fallen amongst the globe’s most high profile deals of 2017.

 

The most valuable deal finalised during the month of November involved the £5.0bn acquisition of Shell UK Ltd’s North Sea assets by Chrysaor Holdings Ltd. Registered in the Cayman Islands, Chrysaor is a private company that focuses on developing and commercialising oil and gas discoveries in the North Sea.

 

The acquisition was backed by Harbour Energy, an energy investment vehicle formed by EIG Global Energy Partners. The transaction creates the leading independent exploration and production company in the UK North Sea, and provides Harbour Energy with its first regional growth platform.

 

Another particularly high profile deal completed in November saw JAG Acquisitions (UK) Ltd acquire the British luxury fashion house, Jimmy Choo plc, for a value of over £1.0bn. JAG Acquisitions is more commonly known as Michael Kors, the American luxury fashion company.

 

According to the Financial Times, Michael Kors’ acquisition of Jimmy Choo is expected to deliver a number of benefits, including the opportunity to grow Jimmy Choo sales to over $1bn, greater product diversification, an enhanced position in the luxury footwear segment, and wider exposure to global markets, particularly the fast-growing market in Asia.

 

At a final sale price of £888m, the third most valuable deal throughout the month of November saw Capita Asset Services (UK) Ltd be acquired by Link Administration Holdings Ltd. Trading as Link Group, the company operates as a financial technology solutions provider and is headquartered in Australia. Capita Asset Services administers around £50bn of fund assets.

 

The acquisition will allow the Australian group to expand its presence throughout Europe, creating the newly renamed company, Link Asset Services.

 

Other interesting deals included Clinigen Group plc’s £150m purchase of Quantum Pharma plc, the £84m acquisition of Seachill Ltd by Hilton Foods Ltd, and the £68.8m acquisition of Brandon Hire Group Holdings Ltd by VP plc.

 

With many other exciting deals in the pipeline, the remainder of 2017 is set to be highly active. If you are interested in learning more about the worth of your business amidst this favourable, M&A market, please do not hesitate to fill in our free, online valuation calculator, which can help you understand the value of your company in a matter of minutes.