Close Menu
  • News
  • Home
  • In Profile
  • Finance
  • Legal
  • Technology
  • Events
  • Features
  • Wellbeing & Mental Health
  • Marketing
  • HR & Recruitment
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Events Calendar
  • Business Wall
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • 0843 289 4634
X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
Trending
  • As Seen on BBC Panorama – Brad Burton to Headline The South West Expo in Swindon
  • New Industrial Strategy must spark growth and opportunity for small businesses
  • Selling a business: The steps too many owners miss
  • Temperatures Soaring: Is Your Workplace Becoming Unsafe?
  • Outgrowing your MSP; businesses need a provider that scales with their growth
  • Level 7 apprenticeship funding cuts will cost UK employers over £200m
  • Groundbreaking compliance tool to futureproof UK fashion sector
  • How much experience do you need to be a FTSE 100 CEO?
X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
SME Today
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Events Calendar
  • Business Wall
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • 0843 289 4634
  • News
  • Home
  • In Profile
  • Finance
  • Legal
  • Technology
  • Events
  • Features
  • Wellbeing
  • Marketing
  • HR & Recruitment
SME Today
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Events Calendar
  • Business Wall
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • 0843 289 4634
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
You are at:Home»Features»Private Equity Sets Sights On Strengthening Portfolios With 35% Jump In Buy And Build Deals
Neil Mitchell

Private Equity Sets Sights On Strengthening Portfolios With 35% Jump In Buy And Build Deals

0
Posted By sme-admin on March 16, 2021 Features, Finance

The number of private equity buy and build transactions in the UK soared by 35 per cent during 2020, as private equity houses looked to bolster their portfolio during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research by Rickitt Mitchell.

Analysis by the corporate finance boutique, in partnership with Experian Market iQ, reveals that a total of 370 bolt-on transactions were completed in 2020 – up from the 276 seen over the course of the previous year.

The bounce back following the Covid-19 pandemic is highlighted by the active second half of 2020, with 232 transactions completed during that period. In contrast, just 46 deals were completed during the second quarter, at the height of the national lockdown.

Despite the rise in volumes, the total value of transactions fell by a small portion over the last year. £1.2bn of deals were completed in 2020, just lower than the £1.3bn seen in 2019, which further highlights the trend of bolt-on deals during this period, which typically have smaller average values than other deal types.

Behind London, which saw 41 transactions in 2020, the South East represented the most active region for bolt-on deals with 35. This was followed by the North West and South West (both 30), Yorkshire and the East Midlands (both 25), the West Midlands (18) and the East of England (17).

The majority also surpassed or equalled their 2019 totals, with 10 of the 12 UK regions achieving the same or better performance in 2020. Only the East of England, which saw volume drop from 19 to 17 and the South East, which fell from 39 to 35, saw a reduction in deals.

Neil Mitchell, Partner at Rickitt Mitchell, said:
“Bolt-on transactions have been on the rise for some time, however the significant jump in deals during the pandemic has highlighted the continued appetite by private equity for bolt-ons as a route to growth. Private equity houses have seen the opportunity to strengthen their existing portfolios even further and capitalise on new trends. For example, with the rise in remote working, we have seen appetite for businesses with digital capabilities explode, as more traditional companies look to add much needed technological expertise. We’ve also seen a wider spread when it comes to pricing, with some companies valuations remaining high while others have taken a hit, providing opportunity to target strategic acquisitions at lower prices.

He continued:
“As the ‘new normal’ has begun to emerge, we expect both new investments and bolt-on transactions to remain high for the foreseeable future. PE houses are still sitting on large war chests that they need to deploy to satisfy investors, and opportunities will remain for companies to grow dramatically through strategic acquisitions throughout 2021.”

Founded in 1976, Rickitt Mitchell is an independent corporate finance firm based in Manchester. Over the last 45 years, the firm has advised on more than £4bn worth of transactions across all deal types, ranging from £10m to over £100m in value.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Selling a business: The steps too many owners miss

Level 7 apprenticeship funding cuts will cost UK employers over £200m

Groundbreaking compliance tool to futureproof UK fashion sector

Comments are closed.

Follow SME Today on Linkedin and share all the topics you find interesting
Get £100 of free trades - ii trading account

The Newsletter

Join our mailing list for the best SME stories, handpicked and delivered direct to your inbox every two weeks!

Sign Up
Events Calendar
    • Marketing
    June 25, 2025

    From PLT to Twitter X: Business Branding Decisions That Backfired

    June 20, 2025

    Fast fashion giant Shein accused of “dark marketing” – what does it mean for businesses?

    • Finance
    July 2, 2025

    Selling a business: The steps too many owners miss

    July 1, 2025

    Level 7 apprenticeship funding cuts will cost UK employers over £200m

    • Health & Safety
    July 1, 2025

    Temperatures Soaring: Is Your Workplace Becoming Unsafe?

    January 29, 2025

    UK takeaways guilty of shocking hygiene failures:

    • Events
    July 2, 2025

    As Seen on BBC Panorama – Brad Burton to Headline The South West Expo in Swindon

    June 19, 2025

    Windsor Expo Wows: A Showcase of Success, Innovation, and Local Business!

    • Community
    June 23, 2025

    Celebrating One Year In Fairford Supporting The Community

    June 2, 2025

    National Charity Accelerates Children’s Reading Through New Corporate Partnership

    • Food & Drink
    June 23, 2025

    England Cricket Captain, Ben Stokes OBE, takes a stake in Spencer Matthews’ alcohol-free spirits brand, CleanCo

    June 16, 2025

    Hospitality industry risks collapse

    • Books
    April 24, 2025

    Values-Driven Professionalism: A Path to Client Loyalty

    December 2, 2024

    Banish the banshee boss: how to lead without fear – addressing the issue of fear-based management and how NOT to be this manager

    About

    SME Today is published by the same team who deliver The Great British Expos’. We have been organising various corporate events for the last 10 years, with a strong track record of producing well managed and attended business events across the UK.

    Join Our Mailing List

    Receive the latest news and updates from SMEToday.
    Read our Latest Newsletter:


    Sign Up
    X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    Most Recent Posts
    July 2, 2025

    As Seen on BBC Panorama – Brad Burton to Headline The South West Expo in Swindon

    July 2, 2025

    New Industrial Strategy must spark growth and opportunity for small businesses

    July 2, 2025

    Selling a business: The steps too many owners miss

    July 1, 2025

    Temperatures Soaring: Is Your Workplace Becoming Unsafe?

    July 1, 2025

    Outgrowing your MSP; businesses need a provider that scales with their growth

    Categories
    • Books
    • Community & Charity
    • Education and Training
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Features
    • Finance
    • Food and Drink
    • Health & Safety
    • HR & Recruitment
    • In Profile
    • Legal
    • Marketing
    • News
    • Property & Development
    • Sponsored Content
    • Technology
    • Transport & Tourism
    • Wellbeing & Mental Health

    Copyright © 2020 SME Today.

    • ABOUT SME TODAY: THE GO TO RESOURCE FOR UK BUSINESSES
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    Copyright © 2025 SME Today.
    • ABOUT SME TODAY: THE GO TO RESOURCE FOR UK BUSINESSES
    • Privacy
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.