Deal activity driven by increased cross-border transactions and venture capital’s quest for logistics innovators

Q3 saw an increase in deal activity to a new high, which may be surprising given the continued challenges in the economic environment, but it was driven by a number of areas of activity, namely:

• Venture capital investors looking to target earlier stage tech-enabled companies servicing the sector;
• Renewed activity from international buyers; and
• Increased evidence of distress in the market.

We issued the latest edition of the BDO-Barclays UK Logistics Confidence Index which registered the second lowest level of confidence since first published in 2012, suggesting a dose of realism among logistics leaders after the economic turmoil of the last year and reflecting the normalisation of supply chain capacity. In M&A it was notable that 40% of respondents said they are likely to make acquisitions over the next 12 months, confirming the industry’s continued appetite for consolidation and growth.

Read our report for:

• Overview of recent deals
• Why logistics operators are seeking acquisitions
• The factors frustrating deal activity
• Sector performance in public markets

 

READ OUR Q3 SNAPSHOT