Top M&A Trends of 2025
Plus: How to use them to impress law firms.
The UK's M&A market is set up for a game-changing year in 2025. Here’s our guide to the trends you need to know to stand out in applications, ACs and interviews.
Will the UK M&A Take Off in 2025?
Spoiler alert: The signs are promising.
The political noise of 2024 (big elections in France, the U.K., and the U.S.) is finally fading, and European banks are cutting interest rates. Cheaper borrowing makes it easier to finance deals, and while it’s not a magic wand, it’s certainly greasing the wheels.
Here’s what we’re seeing:
- Deal Value Up, Volumes Down: U.K. M&A deal value jumped 49% in 2024’s first nine months, but deal numbers hit a four-year low. Translation? Investors are focusing on fewer, higher-value deals.
- Regulators on the Move: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is diving headfirst into AI-related deals, using its post-Brexit powers to scrutinise competition risks. Meanwhile, the National Security and Investment Act (NSIA), with updated guidance in 2024, now covers even more transactions, particularly in tech, data, and AI. Expect more conditional approvals and longer timelines.
What’s the Hottest Industry in 2025?
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