European buyouts triple in 2010

unquote.com
11 January 2011

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Buyout activity across Europe bounced back in 2010, lifted by a resurgent mid-market as well as several transactions at the top end of the value spectrum. The overall value of buyouts totalled €63bn last year, a substantial increase from the €24bn recorded in the previous year, according to the 22nd edition of the European Buyout Review, due to be published in March 2011 by unquote".

2010 showed a significant jump in value of European buyouts. The overall value of buyouts across Europe almost tripled to €63.2bn (2009: €23.8bn). The volume of deals rose by 39% to 371 transactions during the year (2009: 266).

€1bn-plus deals (mega-buyouts) made a comeback. There were 12 €1bn-plus buyouts in 2010 worth €21.3bn, bringing the totals in line with 2008 levels after what was almost a complete blackout in the previous year (2009: 4 deals worth €7bn). By value, mega-buyout comprised 33% of the European buyout market in 2010.

A third of all European buyouts were done in the UK and Ireland. In 2010, a higher proportion of buyouts were completed in the UK and Ireland compared to other European countries. By value, the UK and Ireland comprised 38% of buyouts across Europe, up from 29% in 2009.