BusinessQuiet 48d · day 48
City bankers and lawyers pocket over £1bn as UK takeover frenzy surges 175%
M&A value in London-listed companies hit £100bn this year, driving record fees as banks lobby against a UK tax rise.
What to know
- UK-listed company M&A value surged 175% in 2026 to £100bn, driven by private equity and American buyers targeting undervalued British firms.
- Fees to bankers, lawyers and accountants on these deals topped £1.2bn, fuelling multimillion-pound pay at firms like Linklaters, Clifford Chance and Evercore.
- The windfall coincides with the banking sector lobbying against a UK bank tax rise, with JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon and UK Finance both warning against it before the 28 October budget.
- Figures likely understate the full total, excluding deals like Apollo's £5.7bn easyJet takeover that haven't completed or been fully documented.
Jamie Dimon CEO, JP Morgan
Andy Burnham UK head of government
John Healey ChancellorUK Finance Banking industry body
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