List of company mergers and acquisitions which took place in the UK in 2011.
In a deal which expands its European presence, the private healthcare company Cigna has acquired FirstAssist Insurance Services, which will become part of Cigna’s Health, Life & Accident division.
Following a short spell in administration, a £77.5m deal has seen DTZ Holdings purchased by the Australian services company UGL. DTZ was the first real estate adviser to be listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1987.
The access and disability consultancy company Direct Enquiries has been acquired by MITIE. The deal expands MITIE’s interests in the compliance, risk assessment, disability and access industries.
The cloud computing specialist Appirio has continued its expansion into the European market with the acquisition of Saaspoint, which includes among its clients British Gas, Dell, Proctor & Gamble and Rentokil.
London Stock Exchange Group has taken over full ownership and strategic control of FTSE International by purchasing the remaining 50% stake it does not already own from Pearson for £450m. The deal is part of the London Stock Exchange’s move into indices, derivatives and market data products and services.
Central Insurance has continued its recent expansion with the purchase of Castle Cairn Insurance Brokers for £2.3m. Castle Cairn will work closely with Central’s Glasgow office, which opened in 2010.
Premier Foods, owner of brands such as Hovis, Sharwood's, Ambrosia and Angel Delight, is to focus on a smaller number of brands following the sale of Brookes Avana to 2 Sisters Food Group for £30m. 2 Sisters will integrate Brookes Avana, which specialises in the chilled foods sectors, with its Solway Foods business.
The private equity firm Bridgepoint has acquired Wiggle for £180m. Established in 1999, Wiggle is one of the UK’s leading online cycling and tri-sports retailer, with sales of over £50m per year and over one million shopper visits a week.
Ownership of the golf equipment and accessories retailer American Golf has changed following LDC’s decision to sell its majority shareholding to rival private equity firm Sun European Partners. American Golf runs 88 stores in the UK and increased its total sales by 20% to £86.6m last year.
The German wound care and wound closure company RESORBA has been acquired by Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS) in a deal worth £55m. The purchase enables AMS to expand into Germany, Czech Republic and Russia as well as give it access to the international oral surgery market.
A deal worth £83m has seen Veolia Environment sell its 51% stake in Doméo to Homeserve. Domeo, a French provider of insured home emergency policies, was established in 2001 as a joint venture between Veolia and Homeserve. The acquisition gives Homeserve full control of the business and it plans to further develop its product range.
Arval Group has sold fuel cards provider AllStar Business Solutions to FleetCor Technologies for £194m.
Ash Gaming, which specialises in developing content for the online gaming industry, has been acquired by Playtech in a deal worth £23m. The deal increases Playtech’s wholly-owned content library.
One of the UK’s leading aerospace companies, MB Aerospace, has expanded into the American market with the purchase of Gentz Industries. The deal, which will see the group employ over 400 people, combines Gentz’s list of high profile clients, which include Rolls-Royce, Volvo Aerospace and the US Department of Defense, with MB’s expertise in global aerospace and defense supply chains.
The credit ratings agency Moody’s has acquired the risk management company Barrie & Hibbert. The purchase, which will see Barrie & Hibbert integrated into Moody’s Analytics Risk Management Software, broadens Moody’s range of insurance and pension sector software products.
The independent financial advisory group Collins Stewart Hawkpoint has been taken over by the Canadian financial services firm Canaccord Financial in a deal worth £253.3m.
Northern Rock, which was taken into public ownership in February 2008, has been bought by Virgin Money. The deal is worth £747m and creates a company with over four million customers.
Universal Music is to buy EMI’s recorded music division. The deal, worth £1.2bn, sees Universal take on the record label which is home to artists such as The Beatles, Katy Perry, Coldplay and Kylie Minogue.
The scientific and high-technology instruments manufacturer Oxford Instruments has strengthened its position in the US market with the purchase of Platinum Medical Imaging.
The video search engine company Blinkx the online performance advertising network and digital marketing agency Prime Visibility Media Group in a deal worth £22.4m.
The management team at Barclays Private Equity have completed a management buy-out which will see the independent investment firm be renamed as Equistone Partners Europe.
IDOX has acquired the document management company CTSpace for £11.6m.
Charter International, owner of the engineering company Howden, has agreed to be taken over by Colfax Corporation in a deal worth £1.5bn.
The infrastructure services company May Gurney has purchased TransLinc for £35m. TransLinc is a provider of specialist fleet management and passenger services to the public sector.
The insurance and reinsurance broker THB Group is to be acquired by the American insurance holding company AmWINS.
The electrical retailer Comet has been sold by Kesa Electricals to an investment group for a nominal fee. As part of the deal Kesa is to invest £50m in the business.
The digital and mobile media company Mobile Interactive Group has been bought by Velti.
Trifast has increased its international profile with the acquisition of the Malaysian industrial fastenings manufacturer Power Steel and Electro-plating Works for £15m.
Bibby Line Group has moved into the retail sector with the purchase of Costcutter.
The identity management specialist GB Group has purchased Capscan Parent in a deal worth £11.2m.
Rentokil Initial is to acquire MSS Facilities Management from Managed Support Services for £6.5m.
The publishing group Pearson is expand its presence in China with the purchase of Global Education and Technology Group for £188m.
Micro Application Packages has been purchased by the American computer software design company Autodesk.
The Singapore food company SATS has sold the chilled food manufacturer Daniels to Hain Celestial in a deal worth £151m.
International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, has agreed to buy airline British Midland (BMI) from Lufthansa.
The Centre for Food Robotics and Automation has been acquired by Stafforce Personnel.
The private equity firm Elysian Capital has bought the electrical company Volvox Group from LDC.
Ufi, the owner of the e-learning network learndirect, has been purchased by the private equity firm LDC for £40m.
The ladieswear retailer Alexon has been acquired by the private investment firm Sun European Partners.
Hamworthy has bought the specialist valve manufacturer AW Flow. The deal, worth £24m, enables Hamworthy to develop its position in the offshore oil and gas market.
The 3D laser scanning specialist Z+F UK has been purchased by Aveva. The deal enables Aveva to develop its position in the 3D data capture market. In addition, a global 3D data capture Centre of Excellence will be opened in Manchester.
Sims Metal Management has acquired S3 Interactive, a company which specialises in the recovery, repair and refurbishment of handheld electronic devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.
Euro Car Parts has been purchased by American motor car parts supplier LKQ Corporation. The deal, worth an initial £225m, is the first move by LKQ into the European market.
The asset and loan finance services provider Virtual Lease Services has been acquired by NetSol Technologies and Investec Asset Finance. The deal sees NetSol acquire a 51% stake and Investec 49%.
Premier Oil is to acquire EnCore in a deal which values the oil and gas exploration and production company at £221m.
The managed IT services provider Lumison BlueSquare has bought DediPower Managed Hosting in a deal which increases its combined turnover to £27.5m.
The CAD/CAM software providers Vero Software and Planit Holdings have agreed to merge.
The mobile advertising agency Fetch Media has purchased Lucidity Mobile, which will trade under the Fetch Media brand.
The information management providers Sala International and EDM Group are to merge in a deal worth £52m. The newly formed business will trade under the EDM Group name.
The online entertainment company Global Media Vault has been acquired by Sainsbury's.
The software provider Pinnacle Computing has purchased Plus One, giving Pinnacle a second office in Scotland.
The private equity firm Alcuin has backed a management buyout of the doughnut retailer Krispy Kreme.
The private equity firm ISIS has acquired a majority stake worth £42m in the cloud computing provider Oynx.
Kerridge Commercial Systems has bought TIS Software.
The business communications provider Avaya has acquired Aurix, which specialises in phonetic speech search and analytics technology.
The optical thin film filter manufacturer EIS Optics has been purchased by the American advanced enabling materials provider Materion Corporation.
The US-based software company Quest has bought ChangeBASE.
A consortium led by businessman Rami Cassis is to take over Parseq in a deal which values the IT company at £33m.
The real time monitoring systems provider Brulines has purchased Lookout Solutions.
The German automotive parts supplier HORN has acquired Pneumatic Components Ltd (PCL).
The private equity firm Palatine has backed the secondary management buyout of WEALTH at work.
The drainage companies UK Drainage Network and Waterflow Holdings have merged to create a £50m company working across a nationwide network of 17 depots.
The private equity firm Vitruvian Partners has acquired College Group in a deal which values the PR firm at £45m.
The document management specialist Paragon Group has bought the trade and assets of Wright Printing Services of Rotherham.
Chime Communications has acquired Gulliford Consulting for £2.5m.
The Canadian-based Capstone Infrastructure Corporation has purchased a 70% stake in Bristol Water for £135m.
The Germany chemical distribution company Brenntag has acquired Multisol Group. The deal, which will see Multisol’s existing management team remaining in place, will enable Brenntag to extend its distribution network across Europe and Africa.
Travis Perkins has sold the industrial products distributor Buck & Hickman to Brammer for £27.6m.
CCI Distribution has been purchased by the storage distributor CMS Peripherals.
The technology companies CSR and Zoran Corporation have merged. The combined company has 3,000 employees and a turnover of £740m. It will continue to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.
IBM has acquired i2 as it looks to expand into the fraud and security threat reduction market.
The Australian beer company Foster’s is to be acquired by SABMiller in a deal worth £6bn.
Nice Systems has bought Fizzback, a provider of real time market research services.
The portfolio management company Close Credit Management has been purchased by the Bluestone Group, in a deal which will see the number of accounts managed by Bluestone double.
The provider of premium carrier-neutral data centres Telecity has acquired UK Grid. The deal, worth £11.7m, gives Telecity access to an additional 1.5 megawatts of carrier neutral capacity.
The aerospace company Cobham has acquired the US satellite systems developer Trivec-Avant for £80m.
The content development organisation Core Gaming has purchased the game development studio Betlow.
Richardson Electronics has bought Powerlink, a provider of satellite communication equipment repair services.
The private equity firm The Carlyle Group has bought the carpet manufacturer Brintons out of administration.
Capita Group has acquired Vertex’s UK Private Sector business for £40m.
The ticketing company See Tickets has been purchased by Vivendi for £83m.
The computer firms Apex Computers and AssurIT are to merge, forming a company which will be rebranded under one name, APSU.
Leading Formula 1 figures Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone have sold their majority stake in Queens Park Rangers to Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, who founded AirAsia and owns the Team Lotus Formula 1 outfit.
The private equity firm Darwin has purchased the managed services company Attenda for £50m. The existing management team will remain in place.
The networking and communications specialist Cisco has acquired software assets and employees of Axiom Systems, the UK subsidiary of parent company Comptel Corporation.
Gazprom Global Energy Solutions has bought the technology and solutions provider Cyclo Systems International. The deal gives Gazprom access to technology which increases its portfolio of energy management services.
Autonomy, the UK’s largest internet software company, has been acquired by the computer manufacturer HP.
Aromco, a developer and manufacturer of flavours for the food and drink industry, has been purchased by Frutarom Industries for £15m. The deal gives Frutarom access to developing markets such as Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.
Balfour Beatty has bought Opl Group for £8m.
Costain has acquired the industrial support services company Promanex for £16.4m. The deal will see Promanex be integrated into Costain’s infrastructure division.
The American provider of online medical research articles M3 USA has purchased Doctors.net.uk, the UK’s largest physician network. The acquisition gives M3 access to 184,000 physicians in the UK.
The Belgian luxury lingerie designer and manufacturer Van de Velde has bought an 87% majority stake in lingerie retailer Rigby & Peller.
Teaching Personnel has purchased rival provider teaching assistant provider Protocol Education.
The travel guide publisher Time Out has acquired the digital agency LikeCube.
The industry services provider eBECS has bought the business and key assets of business services consultancy ePartners UK. The deal makes eBECS one of the biggest Microsoft Dynamics resellers in the UK.
The US-based operator of online coupon and deal sites WhaleShark Media has bought eConversions, which runs VoucherCodes.co.uk in the UK and Gutschein-Codes.de in Germany. The deal gives WhaleShark access to 150 million unique website visitors in 2011.
John Crane, the world’s largest manufacturer of mechanical seals, has moved into the US market with the acquisition of Turbo Components and Engineering.
The American digital marketing company IgnitionOne has purchased AdJug.
AEGON has sold Guardian Financial Services to private equity firm Cinven for £275m.
The property developer Minerva has been purchased by Jupiter Properties for £202.6m. The deal will see Minerva delisted from the London Stock Exchange.
Virgin Media's 50% stake in UKTV has been acquired by the US media company Scripps Networks Interactive for £239m. The other 50% is owned by BBC Worldwide, which in a related development is negotiating to increase its stake in UKTV to 60%.
Crown Telecom Solutions has purchased Strata Communications.
Google, the developer of the mobile phone operating system Android, has bought mobile phone manufacturer Motorola.
Charles Wells has acquired a 40% stake in Wells & Young’s Brewing Company from Young & Co.’s. The deal, worth £15.1m, enables Young’s to develop its portfolio of managed and tenanted pubs.
Peter Jones, one of the five millionaire entrepreneurs to appear on Dragons' Den, has sold Wireless Logic to the private equity firm ECI Partners for £35m.
The precision instrument manufacturer Spectris has acquired Omega Engineering for £290m.
Credit Agricole Commercial Finance, provider of £3bn of finance to UK companies in 2010, has been acquired by GE Capital.
The utilities firm Northumbrian Water Group has been bought by a consortium headed by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka Shing in a deal which values the company at £2.4bn.
The energy services group Hunting is to purchase the oil and gas services provider Titan. The deal, worth £475m, gives Hunting access to the US on-shore shale oil production market.
The media management company Red Bee Media has acquired the software company TV Genius.
The computer software provider FFastFill has bought Spread Intelligence for £1.5m.
The provider of IT assurance, security and consultancy services NCC Group has purchased Axzona.
The US publisher Hearst Corporation has acquired Hachette Filipacchi and is to merge it with National Magazine Company, creating a new company called Hearst Magazines UK.
The quality and safety solutions provider Intertek has acquired the chemical and microbiological food testing lab Food Analytical Laboratories.
The international provider of essential, non-mechanical industrial services Cape has purchased York Linings International for £4m.
Saint-Gobain is to buy Build Center from Wolseley. The deal, worth £145m, will see Build Center merge with Jewson.
The management team of Jonathan Evans and Ian French has acquired Ash & Lacy Building Systems.
The digital design and build company Pushbutton has been purchased by Amazon.
Aegis Group has agreed to sell the market research firm Synovate to Ipsos in a deal worth £525m.
The mobile home and camping holiday operator Holidaybreak has been acquired by Cox & Kings, in a deal which values Holidaybreak at £312m.
The traffic and travel information provider ITIS has been acquired by the US-based company Inrix.
The IT services provider Eurodata Systems has bought by Trinity Expert Systems, creating a team of 450 IT consultants.
Keepmoat and Apollo Group, two of the UK’s leading social housing development companies, have merged to create a business with expected revenues of £1bn.
C&G Concrete has been bought out of administration by Breedon Aggregates in a deal worth £10m.
Egg’s mortgage and savings business has been purchased by Yorkshire Building Society. The Egg brand is part of the deal as well.
The provider of commercial credit information to small and medium enterprises , LM Group, has been acquired by Experian.
The traffic management software company Zeus Technology has been purchased by the American IT performance business Riverbed Technology.
The media sector investment company Writtle Holdings has acquired Loewy Group.
Citrix Systems has purchased the software infrastructure provider Cloud.com.
The mutual life and pensions company Royal London is to acquire Co-operative Financial Services’ life and asset management businesses.
The marketing and communications company Hasgrove has sold Interel to its management team for £8m.
The marketing services group Chime Communications has bought Reynolds-MacKenzie. The deal will see Reynolds-MacKenzie become part of Chime’s healthcare division, OPEN Health.
The marketing services provider Multi Resource Marketing (MRM) has been acquired by HighCo. MRM’s management team will remain in place.
The Spanish packaging company Unipapel has purchased Spicers from DS Smith.
The private equity firm Sovereign Capital has backed two takeovers in the healthcare sector: Select Living Options has acquired Inclusion Care and City & County Healthcare Group has purchased Community and Homecare Services.
GKN has acquired the German manufacturer of industrial power management components Stromag. The deal, worth £146m, will see Stromag integrated into GKN’s land systems division.
The electrical equipment distributor Edmundson Electrical has acquired Electric Center from Wolseley.
Sports Direct has acquired a majority stake in the young branded fashion West Coast Capital, and the luxury retailer Cruise Clothing. The deal sees Sports Direct investing up to £20m into the new acquired businesses.
The strategic media planning company MediaVest has been purchased by Aegis Group in a deal which values MediaVest at £95m.
The international multi–brand fleet management division of BMW Group, Alphabet, has bought ING Car Lease in a deal worth £560m.
The chilled and frozen convenience food manufacturer Uniqhas been purchased by the Irish food company Greencore for £113m.
The web design agency Baigent Digital has been acquired by the Convio, an American provider of online fundraising, marketing and CRM services.
The private equity firm RJD Partners has backed a management buyout of the ICT provider Intrinsic Technology, in a deal worth £30m.
UKSolutions, Protel and NetworkFlow, three of the UK’s leading managed data services providers, have merged to form a new group which consists of four offices across the UK and 900 customers.
The ID verification services supplier GB Group has purchased Data Discoveries.
The footwear chain Schuh has been purchased by the American retailer Genesco. The deal, worth £100m, will see the existing UK-based management team remain in place.
Home Retail Group, the owner of Argos and Homebase, has acquired the Habitat brand, its brand designs, intellectual property in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, the Habitat UK website and three of its London stores for £24.5m.
The global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group has bought the car insurance and breakdown cover provider RAC from Aviva. The deal, worth £1.0bn, will enable Aviva to focus on its core insurance and savings businesses.
Rontec Investments, a consortium led by the UK forecourt operator Snax 24, has purchased Total’s UK retail network, consisting of 810 Total-branded service stations and its Butler heating oil business, as well as its Channel Islands and Isle of Man businesses.
The pharmacy chain Gorgemead has bought Assura Pharmacy from the Assura Group for £39.3m.
Zimiti, a developer of sensor technology, has been acquired by Digital Barriers.
The Australian testing and technical services specialist ALS has bought Stewart Group. The deal, worth £146m, will see Stewart Group be integrated into the minerals division of ALS.
The UK hosting provider Hostroute has been purchased by Paragon Internet Group.
Redrow has sold its Scottish division to Springfield Properties for £49m. Redrow is to reinvest this money in London and the South East.
The scientific and high-technology instrument manufacturer Oxford Instruments has acquired the German-based Omicron NanoTechnology for £28m. It has also purchased Omniprobe for £12m.
The marketing services business Orchestra Bristol has been bought out of administration by Communisis.
The London theatre ticket agent West End Theatre Bookings has been sold by Holidaybreak to Encore Tickets for £10.9m.
The international publishing group Pearson has acquired Education Development International.
The private equity firm Melrose has sold die cast component provider Dynacast to KDI Holdings for £360m.
SeaEnergy has sold its offshore marine renewables development subsidiary SeaEnergy Renewables to the Spanish energy company Repsol. The deal, worth £38.8m, gives Repsol control of three offshore wind farm sites off the coast of Scotland.
The nationwide truck rental and contract hire company Hill Hire has been acquired by Ryder Europe for £154m. Ryder is now responsible for a fleet of 10,000 HGVs.
The Dutch-based component manufacturer Mors Smitt has purchased STS Rail from Key Technologies. STS Rail will continue to manufacture components in the UK.
The bed and mattress manufacturer Silentnight has been bought by the private equity firm H.I.G. Europe in a deal which secures 1,250 jobs.
The metal recycling company Dunn Brothers has been acquired by Sims Group UK.
The US-based telecommunications carrier Global Telecom & Technology has purchased PacketExchange.
A management buyout of the consumer financial services group MoneyPlus has been completed with the backing of the private equity firm Palatine Private Equity.
The Danish coatings supplier Hempel has acquired Crown Paints from Endless for £140m.
The wholesale flower company Flower World has been bought by supermarket Morrisons.
The private equity firm Graphite Capital has sold the shoe retailer Kurt Geiger to Jones Group for £215m.
Capita Group has acquired healthcare recruitment firm Team24 for £24m. In a separate deal, Capita has purchased Call Centre Technology for £15m.
The international service company Serco has purchased the Indian business process outsourcing firm Intelenet. The deal, worth £385m, enables Serco to enter the Indian domestic market.
Betfred has bought the Tote for £265m. As part of the deal Betfred has been awarded an exclusive seven year licence to operate pools betting on UK racecourses.
The global technology business Vislink has acquired Gigawave for £3.75m.
TowerBrook Capital Partners has sold the luxury shoes and accessories brand Jimmy Choo to private equity firm Labelux.
Twitter has acquired TweetDeck, a developer of third party software applications used to access social networking sites on a variety of platforms.
Private equity firm Exponent has bought Pattonair, the supply chain division of Umeco.
International Game Technology has sold the gaming machine designer and manufacturer Barcrest Group to Scientific Games for £33m.
Sword Insurance, a provider of computer software products to insurance companies, has been acquired by the private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners.
The US-based foodservice equipment manufacturer Middleby has purchased catering equipment manufacturer Lincat for £57.9m.
Ensco, a provider of offshore drilling services, has bought the US-based offshore drilling company Pride International.
The property consultants Jones Lang LaSalle and King Sturge have merged to form a business operating in 70 countries across the EMEA region.
The Hut Group has purchased the online sports nutrition retailer Myprotein.com.
Portsmouth Football Club has been acquired by the Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov.
Verta Energy Trading, a provider of energy from waste materials, has bought the waste oil procurement and handling company ML Oils. The deal gives Verta access to enough waste liquid biomass to generate 4MW of electricity.
Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut has acquired the book retailer Waterstone’s from HMV. The deal, worth £53m, allows HMV to reduce its short term borrowing requirements.
The biopharmaceutical company Shire has purchased US-based Advanced BioHealing. The deal, worth £461m, enables Shire to establish a regenerative medicine business unit.
NVIDIA, the US-based manufacturer of PC gaming graphics cards, has acquired computer components developer Icera. The deal, worth £226m, enables NVIDIA to move into the 3G and 4G cellular phones and tablets market.
Halma has purchased the US-based security systems manufacturer Kirk Key Interlock for £9m.
The cloud infrastructure and hosted services provider, Nimbus Technology Systems, has been bought by Trustmarque.
The PR company Next Fifteen has acquired the digital agency CMG Worldwide.
Businessman Craig Whyte has bought Glasgow Rangers Football Club from Sir David Murray for a nominal fee.
William Hill has moved into the US sports betting industry with the purchase of Brandywine Bookmaking for £8.5m.
The financial management systems provider PSCAL has been acquired by Civica.
The safety and survival equipment manufacturer Survitec has bought the Marine business of Cosalt. The deal, worth £31m, will see the newly purchased company be rebranded Survitec Service and Distribution.
Wrekin Grain, a provider of a range of services to the farming community, has been purchased by Wynnstay. The deal will see Wrekin Grain merge with Shropshire Grain to form a new business called GrainLink.
The US-based chemical company Techne Corporation has purchased the provider of chemical, peptide and antibody products Tocris for £75m.
The fashion brand AllSaints has been bought by private equity firm Lion Capital.
Leeds Skin, which runs an independent commercial testing facility, has been purchased by the pharmaceutical company Syntopix.
Yorkshire Building Society and Norwich & Peterborough Building Society are to merge. The enlarged society, which will take the Yorkshire Building Society name, will consist of 3 million members and 224 branches.
The US-based school technology provider Schoolnet has been purchased by Pearson for £140m.
Microsoft has acquired Skype, the world’s leading provider of free phone calls over the internet, for £5bn. The deal will see Skype integrated into a range of Microsoft products and devices, including Xbox Live, Kinect and Windows Phone.
The fitness club chain Virgin Active Health Clubs has acquired Esporta Health Clubs. Virgin Active is now responsible for 124 clubs across the UK.
The pub retailer and brewer Greene King has purchased Realpubs. The deal, worth £53.1m, will see Greene King take over Realpubs’ 14 premium London pubs.
The Dutch-based technical services provider Imtech has acquired Smith Group.
PTS UK, an operator of heavy goods vehicles, has been acquired by the Swedish-based logistics specialist Greencarrier. The deal, which will see PTS renamed as Greencarrier PTS Ltd, gives Greencarrier a permanent presence in the UK.
Tesco has acquired an 80% stake in the movie and TV streaming site blinkbox.
The Carlyle Group has sold The Mill, one of the world’s leading producers of digital visual effects, to Barclays Private Equity for £119m.
The global web hosting business UK2 Group has been purchased by the private equity firm LDC, in a deal worth £47m.
The insurance underwriter Chaucer Holdings is to be bought by The Hanover Insurance Group for £313m.
Inflexion Private Equity has acquired the home shopping channel operator Ideal Shopping Direct for £78m.
American billionaire Stan Kroenke has acquired a majority stake in Arsenal Football Club, in a deal which values the Premier League side at £731m. Mr Kroenke has stated that the deal will not be funded by debt financed against the club, and that no additional funds will be made available for transfer dealings.
The print services provider Right Document Solutions has been purchased by Capita for £30m.
The email marketing software and services provider smartFOCUS has been purchased by the US-based Emailvision. The deal gives Emailvision the opportunity to establish itself in the UK market.
The vehicle tracking companies Cybit and Masternaut are to merge. The new company will use the Masternaut name and employ 500 people across 32 countries.
The discount department store TJ Hughes has been acquired by private equity firm Endless, in a deal involving senior industry figure Anthony Solomon, who takes on the role of Executive Chairman along with a substantial shareholding.
Sun European Partners LLP has acquired the flexible plastic packaging specialists Britton Flexibles and the magazine printers Polestar.
Islamic Bank of Britain, the UK’s first FSA approved Islamic bank, has been acquired by Qatar International Islamic Bank in a deal which values the bank at £25m.
Fourth Hospitality, the UK’s leading supplier of computer software to the hospitality industry, has been bought in a management buyout backed by private equity firm ECI Partners.
The right to trade under the name Auto Windscreens, the company which went into administration and then liquidation in February 2011, has been bought by Trifords, which is part of the Markerstudy Group.
Baker Tilly is to merge with Richardson Groves, in a move which will see the size of its Bath office double.
The experiential marketing company The Icon Group has been acquired by Chime for £11m.
The video search engine firm blinkx has purchased the online advertising services company Burst Media Corporation for £18.5m.
The private equity firm AnaCap has acquired the consumer debt purchasing company Cabot Financial. The deal sees Cabot merge with Apex Credit Management, which is also owned by AnaCap.
The Forum for Expatriate Management has been bought by Centaur Media for £2.5m.
eviivo, an online reservation and property management system provider, has been purchased by private equity firm Investcorp in a deal worth £30m.
The energy consultancy Power Efficiency has been bought by Balfour Beatty. The deal, worth £18m, will see Power Efficiency be integrated into Balfour Beatty WorkPlace to create a business with with over 100 technical specialists and account managers.
The construction and civil engineering company Costain has acquired a 75% stake in support services provider ClerkMaxwell. The deal, worth £2.4m, will see ClerkMaxwell be integrated into Costain’s energy & process division.
G4S has purchased The Cotswold Group, a provider of surveillance, fraud analytics, intelligence and investigations services, for £10m.
Allied Healthcare has purchased the domiciliary homecare company ScotHomecare for £2.5m. The acquisition makes Allied the largest provider of domiciliary care in Scotland.
The pharmaceutical companies IS Pharma and Sinclair Pharma are to merge. The new company, to be called Sinclair IS Pharma, will be headquartered in the UK with direct distribution operations in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Ireland.
The IFA firm Cavanagh has been bought by Close Brothers in a deal worth £26.2m.
The US-based pharmaceutical company SuperGen and the UK-based biotechnology company Astex Therapeutics have agreed to merge, forming a new company called Astex Pharmaceuticals.
The private mental health services provider Priory Group has acquired the autism and learning disabilities services provider Craegmoor Group.
The motor retail group Lookers has purchased Get Motoring. The deal enables Lookers to extend its vehicle leasing business.
Sense Enterprise Solutions, a provider of computing services the manufacturing and distribution sectors, has been acquired by K3.
Charter International, owner of the engineering companies ESAB and Howden, has acquired the Dutch-based Thomassen Compression Systems for £87m. Thomassen is to combine with Howden to create a world leader in hydrogen compression products.
Accumuli, a provider of network security technologies and services, has purchased the IT security company Boxing Orange for £7.5m. This is Accumuli’s third acquisition in this sector since November 2010.
The TV production company The Mob, best known for Sir Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” TV drama adaptations, has been bought by Red Arrow Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of the German media company ProSiebenSat.
The mobile satellite operator Inmarsat has acquired the Norwegian provider of maritime communications services Ship Equip International, in a deal worth £100m.
The accounting software provider Access has completed a management buy-out, backed by private equity firm Lyceum Capital, in a deal worth £50m.
White Young Green has sold the civil engineering company Adams Kara Taylor in a management buy-out which is backed by the Swedish engineering group Tyrens.
Premier Foods has sold its canned operations to Princes Foods for £182m. The deal includes Premier Foods’ sites at Long Sutton and Wisbech, which combined employ a total of 1,000 people, and the brands Crosse & Blackwell, Fray Bentos and Farrow.
The health insurance plan provider Westfield Health has purchased PatientChoice.
Web TV Enterprise, the UK's largest premium online video ad network, has been acquired by the American media company Collective.
The cleaning and hygiene consumable products manufacturer Cannon Consumables has been purchased from OCS Group by Bunzl.
Facebook has bought the developer of mobile phone apps Snaptu. The newly acquired company develops Facebook related apps which allow the social networking site to be used on a wide range of mobile phones.
wagamama, which runs 70 Japanese-style noodle bars across the UK, has been acquired by private equity firm Duke Street.
Prism DM, a provider of home shopping fulfilment services, has bought the digital agency Digivate.
The Japanese company ITOCHU Corporation has purchased Kwik-Fit for £637m.
The aircraft servicing company BBA Aviation has acquired GE Aviation Systems’ legacy fuel measurement business in a deal worth £38.5m. The newly purchased company has operations in the UK, US and Singapore, all of which will transfer to the nearest BBA Aviation location.
Whitbread subsidiary Costa, which runs 1200 coffee shops in the UK, has bought Coffee Nation for £59.5m. Costa plans to use this deal to launch a new self-serve coffee bar brand, Costa Express.
Hawk-Eye, the company behind the tracking technology used to eliminate umpiring mistakes in cricket and tennis, has been acquired by Sony. As part of the deal Hawk-Eye will become part of the B2B branch of Sony Europe.
The data shredding company Shred Easy has been purchased PHS Datashred.
The digital imaging and printing services company Concept Group has been bought by Xerox.
The world’s largest digital marketing network, Digitas, is to merge with Kitcatt Nohr to form Kitcatt Nohr Digitas. The new agency will be owned by Publicis Groupe and its clients will include John Lewis, Samsung and Toyota.
Capita, the UK’s largest business process outsourcing company, has acquired computer software provider Talis Information for £18.5m.
The private equity firm Electra Partners is to acquire Sentinel Performance Solutions for £43m from The Riverside Company.
The electricity company International Power has been acquired by French-based gas and electricity supplier GDF SUEZ. The combined operation will have power generation capabilities of over 66,000MW.
Arcus subsidiary Otter Ports is to acquire commercial port operator Forth Ports for £760m.
The catering equipment manufacturer Lincat has been bought by the American cooking equipment supplier Middleby. The deal, worth £58m, enables Middleby to build its presence in the UK and gives Lincat access to an established worldwide distribution network.
Spectron Group, a broker of wholesale energy and a range of commodity products, has been acquired by Marex Group for £94.5m.
The insurance company Castle Cover, which specialises in providing insurance products to over 50s, has been purchased by Ageas for £52.8m.
The IT security company McAfee has acquired the database security, monitoring and intrusion prevention firm Sentrigo. The deal allows McAfee to position itself as a market leader in database security.
The US-based medical product supplier Utah Medical Products has purchased Femcare, a company which designs and manufactures medical products for use in gynaecology, general surgery and urology. Its best known brand is the Filshie Clip System, a female surgical contraception device.
The luxury holiday specialist Kuoni has acquired Gullivers Travel Associates for £440m.
The contact centre services provider The Listening Company has been purchased by Serco for £42.1m. The Listening Company will be integrated into Serco’s Local Government & Commercial division.
Essential Viewing Systems, a provider of surveillance products, has been acquired by homeland security specialist Digital Barriers for £4.9m.
SLR Management has bought South African environmental consultancy Metago for £7m. This is SLR’s fourth acquisition in the resources and energy sectors in the last twelve months.
Avisen has sold Inca Software, a computer software company which specialises in working with IBM products and services, to Logicalis.
Advanced Childcare, a provider of outsourced children’s care and education services, has been acquired by private equity firm GI Partners for £28m.
The fertiliser blender and distributor J&H Bunn has been bought by Koch Fertiliser.
The provider of contact centre and fulfilment services Spark Response has acquired the assets of Ethicalsuperstore.com, the online retailer which had been in administration. The newly purchased business will operate as part of a new subsidiary company, Spark etail Limited.
The publisher of health and social care journals Pier Professional has been bought by Emerald Group Publishing. The deal expands Emerald’s range of health and social care journals by 23.
The Swedish industrial group Trelleborg has purchased PPL Polyurethane Products, a developer and manufacturer of polyurethane-based products.
Kleinwort Benson has acquired Close Brothers’ trust, fund administration, asset management and banking business in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The deal, worth £29.1m, allows Close Brothers to focus on its UK-based wealth and asset management activities.
The Foundry, a provider of technology to feature film studios and post production houses, has been bought by The Carlyle Group.
The technical services organisation Moody International has been purchased by Intertek. The deal will enable Intertek to extend its operations across Eastern Europe, South America and Africa.
Hill & Smith Holdings has acquired the US-based Paterson Group for £28m. The deal enables Hill & Smith to establish a presence and work on projects in the nuclear power market.
The electronic components manufacturer Laird has bought the German-based cooling systems specialist Kluver. The acquisition means Laird is able to offer a full range of complex and critical temperature control services.
The price comparison website BeatThatQuote.com, which specialises in financial services products, has been acquired by Google for £37.7m.
The Irish business support services company DCC has purchased print cartridge distributor Advent Data for £20.8m.
Halma, a manufacturer of products for hazard detection and life protection, has bought the Swiss medical device specialist Medicel for £46.6m.
BP has acquired the Brazilian ethanol and sugar producer CNAA. The deal, worth £422m, is the latest move by BP into the biofuel sector.
Origin Enterprises, an Irish-based provider of agricultural services, has purchased United Agri Products for £33m and Rigby Taylor for £9.2m.
UK Wealth Management, the parent company for a group of wealth management and employee benefit firms, has been bought by private equity firm Duke Street.
The print management company IOT Plc has been acquired by Sharp Electronics.
The bluetooth and wireless technology provider CSR plc is to purchase the US-based imaging and video technology firm Zoran, in a deal worth $679m.
The specialty pharmaceutical company ProStrakan Group has been purchased for £292m by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Kyowa Hakko Kirin. The deal will give Kyowa Hakko Kirin a sales and marketing base in Europe and the US.
Diageo, the alcohol company responsible for brands such as Guinness, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker, is to acquire Turkey’s biggest spirits producer and distributor, Mey Icki, in a deal worth £1.2bn.
Europe’s second-largest steel producer, Tata Steel, is to sell certain assets of Teesside Cast Products (TCP) to Thailand’s largest steel producer, Sahaviriya Steel Industries. The deal, worth £269m, includes the Redcar Blast Furnace, the Redcar and South Bank coke ovens, TCP’s power generation facilities and sinter plant, and the Lackenby steelmaking and casting facilities.
The consultancy, engineering and project management services company Amec has purchased qedi, a provider of services to the oil and gas industry in the UK, Gulf of Mexico, Middle East, the Caspian and Australia.
S&D Group, a specialist supplier of products to the pharmaceutical, food, personal care and performance chemicals industries, has been bought by chemicals distributor Azelis.
The provider of payments automation software for direct debits, Direct Debit Limited, has been acquired by Bottomline Technologies.
Facilities Services Group, backed by NBGI Private Equity, has completed a £9m management buy-out from Spice.
The US-based digital media software provider Sensing Systems has been acquired by OMG plc, a provider of motion capture and visual geometry services, for £5.3m.
The digital and mobile media company Mobile Interactive Group has purchased Golden Bytes, a marketing services company based in the Netherlands and Belgium. The deal, which involves Golden Bytes adopting the Mobile Interactive Group brand, will see consolidated revenues exceed £100m.
The computer software developer BusinessSolve has been acquired by the US-based workplace management technology provider PeopleCube. The deal is PeopleCube’s second acquisition in the UK in the last five years.
The pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis is to buy Genzyme, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, in a deal worth $20bn.
The pan-European equity trading system Chi-X Europe has been purchased by the equities trading platform BATS Europe. The newly formed company, to be called BATS Chi-X Europe, will be one of the largest pan-European trading centers.
The marketing support company Affiliate Media has been bought out by its partner company Electric Word. Affiliate has provided marketing services to Electric Word’s subsidiary company iGaming Business since 2006.
The US-based collaboration and conference communications services provider InterCall has purchased the computer systems provider POSTcti.
The chemical manufacturing and distribution group Tennants Consolidated has acquired Tessenderlo Fine Chemicals from its parent company Tessenderlo Group in a deal worth £17m. As part of the deal Tessenderlo, a chemical products provider, will be renamed Tennants Fine Chemicals.
The US-based environmental equipment manufacturer In-Situ has purchased Waterra, a provider of groundwater monitoring and measurement equipment. The deal will see the UK operations merging, with the Waterra office becoming the administrative and sales centre.
The stockbroking firm Astaire Group has sold its subsidiary Rowan Dartington to a consortium of private investors led by the experienced industry figure Graham Coxell, who has been appointed as chief executive as part of the deal.
The safety systems provider Kee Safety has sold a majority investment to the private equity firm LDC. Kee Safety exports brands such as KeeGuard, Kee Line, Kee Walk, Kee Access and Kee Klamp to over 35 countries worldwide.
The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket chain Morrisons has purchased the online baby products retailer Kiddicare for £70m. The deal is part of Morrisons ongoing aim to build its online non-food business.
The water construction and engineering firm Biwater Services has been purchased by the US-based water systems investment and management specialist MWH.
The event management company WorldEvent has been acquired by the Irish-based United Drug.