The UK was the most targeted country in Western Europe and the second most targeted country in the world, according to research by Zephyr.
The UK was the most targeted country in Western Europe and the second most targeted country in the world, according to research by Zephyr.
The research, which includes all announced deals, reveals that there were 6,119 transactions involving UK targets, 1,166 more deals than the next most targeted country, Germany.
In addition, the value of M&A transactions involving UK targets was $318.3 billion (£196.1 billion), 62 per cent larger than Spain, which reported the second highest combined value.
Overall figures show that the value of M&A deals in Western Europe fell by a quarter to $1 trillion, and the number of deals slipped by 5 per cent to 18,386.
The US is still the most targeted country in the world for M&A, reporting 8,419 deals with a value of $1.06 trillion, a decrease of 18 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. In terms of volume, the gap between the UK and the US has narrowed from a difference of 50 per cent in 2007 to 27 per cent in 2009.
Consolidation in the pharmaceutical industry helped boost deal values in the US. The largest deal in the world was the acquisition of pharmaceutical giant Wyeth by domestic rival Pfizer for $68 billion. Other megadeals include the $46.8 billion purchase of US-based Genentech by Swiss healthcare group Roche and the $41.1 billion takeover of Schering-Plough by Merck.
The only region that recorded year-on-year M&A growth was Asia Pacific, which reported deal values increase by 14 per cent to $924.6 billion and the volume rising by 7 per cent to 21,282 transactions.
