Ireland accounts for 5% of M&As

Ireland accounted for nearly 5% of all European-based merger and acquisition (M&A) activity last year, in value terms.

Deals in the pharmaceutical and financial services sectors boosted Irish-related M&A value last year, but activity — in volume terms — declined by just over 15% on 2012 levels.

New figures, published yesterday by global information services company, Experian showed that 254 deals, involving Irish companies, were completed last year — down by 15.1% on the 299 done in 2012.