Partner Article

Businesses look to fly solo

AS THE region’s private sector braces itself for a tough second half to the year, new figures suggest that firms are keen to battle through 2010 alone rather than bolstering their business with a merger.

Mergers and acquisitions in the North East dipped 2.9% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the first, with just 34 transactions in the period.

However, the decline in major deals in the region was far less than the national average, which slumped 15.5% during the same period.

Deal values in the North East during Q2 2010 declined by 94.3% to £115.1m, although the total deal value in Q1 2010 was dramatically higher due to the Arriva-Deusche Bahn deal with a value of £1.585bn.

Only 3.59% of UK deals announced in Q2 2010 had a North East element.

Newcastle-headquartered Brewin Dolphin Securities was the best performing financial advisor by volume of deals announced in Q2 2010, with an involvement in two deals worth £5m.

Pinsent Masons was the most active legal advisor with two announced transactions.

How was your Q2? Email news of your successes - or failures - during the period to andrew@bdaily.info.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .