Glance at the latest research from Canaccord Genuity’s Quest team and you can’t help conclude that UK-listed companies are on sale every day. To boot, on its analysis, plenty of household names are ripe for takeover: the likes of Marks & Spencer, Tate & Lyle and ITV. Headed “M&Ade in the UK”, the 82-page note from analyst Graham Simpson not only looks back at 2024’s “bumper” year for mergers and acquisitions but forward to undervalued companies with just the free cashflow metrics to appeal to private equity. And, while punting on takeover targets can be a ruinous way to build a share portfolio, Simpson’s appraisal has rigour. It’s depressing, too, for anyone who wants a thriving UK stock market.

Source: The Times January 09, 2025 00:04 UTC