Mergers & Acquisitions Special Report

Although many sources of finance are available to fund an acquisition, the financing structure should fit the individual transaction

Will this continue in 2024? And what other sectors are likely to see high levels of activity in the year ahead?

Aiming for a buyer that is the right fit for your company can help when it comes to meeting on price

How geopolitical tensions are affecting friend shoring, nearshoring and reshoring

M&A transaction structures vary depending on the requirements and business types of both seller and buyer

Use of AI to enable companies accelerate target identification and evaluation of potential acquisitions

Preparation, clarity around objectives and understanding a seller’s culture are key to avoiding M&A failure

Q3 figures reflected 2023′s global headwinds but there is positivity around VC funds in the year ahead

MBOs can be faster and more straightforward than the open market but there is often a valuation trade-off

Smurfit Kappa and CRH headed the 2023 M&A leader board with multibillion-dollar moves in the US

No one wants to pay too much for an acquisition - but pitching too low can scupper a deal

Irish merger and acquisition activity held up surprisingly well last year against a challenging global backdrop

‘Golden handcuffs’ such as stock options and bonuses are useful for hanging on to important human assets

Time spent preparing for a sale process is time that that can pay dividends later on down the line

Last year started strongly but was a year of two halves in relation to activity; 2023 looks set to reverse that trend, with a stronger performance in the second half

An MBO not only secures the future of the business but also provides a clear exit plan for shareholders and incentivises management with equity in the company

ESG factors are increasingly important in identifying targets, particularly for private-equity buyers, but are seldom initial primary drivers of typical M&A deals

Barry McCall looks at some of the key themes and trends likely to dominate the M&A market in the year ahead.

Microsoft’s gaming move didn’t play out but there was plenty of heavyweight M&A activity last year

In many ways acquisition only begins when the deal is done – a strong integration strategy is crucial

There is no one-size fits all solution to the problem of potential brain drain. Any plan should be specific to the business and built around the targets that need to be achieved, both financial and qualitative

VDRs enable M&A due diligence processes to be conducted in a structured, efficient and collaborative manner where parties can analyse and access matters on the deal

A look back at M&A over 2022 and predicting what sectors will see activity in 2023

Slowdown in Britain another key driver of increased investor interest, particularly at mid-market level

There are plenty of M&A funds in the market but an experienced team is essential to accessing them

Experts believe conditions are right for number of high-value deals to occur this year

Planning integration of an acquired firm needs to begin early in the transaction

How to ensure a smooth and successful M&A transaction for all parties

Overseas investor interest is as high as ever. This is why it is set to continue

Buyers now taking more holistic approach to ESG due diligence

Practice used by major corporations with multiple businesses has both pros and cons

Qualifying in law or accounting, and preferably both, can be a good way in

Globalisation of the sector a key trend – a win for Irish firms

‘One of the reasons we have been seeing a lot of M&A is the psychology of a typical entrepreneur’

Sales included CPL Resources, Valeo Foods, Panda Group and United Drug

Take-Two Interactive Software said it will buy Zynga in a deal valued at $11bn

US presence has grown over the years as their financial firepower makes impact

Technology, global regulation, ESG and deal size all to the fore