Foreign Appetite for UK Firms at 2021-High on Cheap Valuations
- Overseas parties have submitted £32.7 billion in offers
- Britvic, Hargreaves Lansdown, Royal Mail-owner among targeted
London-listed stocks are attracting attention as they continue to trade at a discount to international peers.
Photographer: Hollie Adams/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The value of foreign bids for UK companies is headed for the highest six-month tally since 2021 as cheap valuations fuel appetite for London-listed firms.
There’s been £32.7 billion ($41.4 billion) worth of proposed, pending or completed takeovers of listed UK companies by overseas parties so far this year, an increase of 143% from 2023, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.