Rory Bateman: Why is the UK investment climate so hot right now?

'Great British Sell Off' materialises

UK companies have shrugged off the gloom of recent years and have become the target of considerable interest from international buyers. Meanwhile, the surge of new listings shows no sign of abating.

Last year, as the pandemic unfolded, UK equities were among the worst affected equity markets globally. At the time, we believed the ‘Great British Sell-Off' would eventually attract international interest, particularly when the Brexit overhang (and hence political uncertainty) was removed. This dynamic has indeed materialised, as illustrated by the significant number of take-private bids, 19 bids for 17 companies, from corporates and private equity firms that have occurred year-to-date. In particular, a number of these bidders have been overseas buyers. Two of the more high profile are ...