Flurry of Irish-linked merger deals

A spate of takeover activity in the pharmaceutical sector pushed Irish-related acquisition values to a 20-year high in the first half of 2014 and saw the country account for nearly 18% of European merger activity, in value terms.

New merger and acquisition & figures from global information services company, Experian show that the volume of Irish-related deals grew by 18.5%, year-on-year, in the first half, with 147 transactions agreed or concluded.

While the volume growth was seen as “steady progress”, the rise in combined deal value — from just €14.8bn in the first half of 2013 to €97.4bn this year — ranked as the highest half-yearly total recorded in the Republic since Experian’s survey began in 1993.